Store: Waitrose, Leigh-on-Sea
Store manager: Gemma Morgan
Opened: June 2009
Size: 13,337 sq ft
Market share: 3%
Population: 325,276
Grocery spend: £9,032,624
Spend by household: £67
Competitors: 72
Nearest rivals: Aldi 1.2 miles, Asda 4.6 miles, Co-op 0.5 miles, Iceland 0.3 miles, Lidl 1.5 miles, M&S 1.4 miles, Morrisons 0.2 miles, Sainsbury’s 0.2 miles, Tesco 0.5 miles, Waitrose 3.1 miles
Source: CACI. For more info visit www.caci.co.uk/contact.
Notes: Shopper profiling is measured using Grocery Acorn shopper segmentation. Store catchment data (market share, population, expenditure, spend by household, competition) is within a five-mile radius.
Tell me a little bit about your background with Waitrose? I’ve been with Waitrose nearly 24 years and I’ve only been the branch manager here in Leigh-on-Sea since 16 January, so I’m still relatively new to the shop. I was the deputy branch manager in Billericay for six years prior to this. I had been in a transition role running Billericay for the last four months before I left it so I was sort of used to being the accountable manager as it were.
How would you describe your management style as a newly promoted branch manager? I’m very solution-driven so I’ve just taken all the recent challenges in my stride and tried to do the best I can with each of them, looking after our customers and partners as best I can. I wouldn’t say there’s been anything that has overly fazed me.
Has availability been a big challenge the past four months? There hasn’t been anything particularly that has caused too many great issues. It’s actually probably been one of the most settled periods we’ve had in a long while. The team is well-resourced and we do the best we can on the day with the stock that’s available.
What is the situation like with cooking oils at the moment? Waitrose has put a cap [on cooking oils] to prevent panic buying, but there is plenty of oil in the supply chain and we’ve got good availability. We’re just preventing any panic – which we have not seen yet.
Why do you think the mystery shopper found the layout confusing? A few fixtures have moved in preparation for the HFSS promotions ban, so if they’re a local shopper and it was their first trip back in, they would have noticed many changes.
Untidiness in the produce area was also a problem. We do pay a lot of attention [to fruit & veg] as it is the first area of the shop that customers see – we want it to look appealing and fresh as they start their journey around the shop. We obviously pride ourselves on good displays and tidy shelves, but I think it probably was a one-off.
The Easter display was a real highlight though. Easter has looked really strong. The main Easter fixtures are mini eggs, Lindt bunnies and the cuddly toys have also sold really well in the last week. The tulips and other seasonal flowers have looked really strong too, and the hot cross buns have been really popular.
Tell us about your local community. I think Leigh-on-Sea is voted one of the happiest places in the UK, and from what I see at work, our customers love the friendly nature of the neighbourhood store that we are. We have a lot of regular shoppers, but we also get a really good mix of customers.
How does trading change in the summer months, considering your location? It’s a fairly standard trade throughout the year, obviously with some peaks at seasonal times. But we’re not on the beachfront, so what we gain from tourists in the summer months, we sort of lose from locals holidaying elsewhere, so it balances itself out. It is quite consistent throughout the year.
What plans do you have for the branch? It’s about small gains across every area that I can focus on. My absolute passion is looking after my partners, making sure they’re motivated and enjoy their work. I think if you’ve got that right, everything else can fall into place.
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