It’s your first day as store manager. What’s on your agenda? I’ve been busy meeting partners and catching up on how the Jubilee weekend went. This afternoon, I’ll be meeting more partners and getting started on making sure the store is ready for the end of the school half-term holiday.
Where were you before you joined the Pontprennau store? I was a deputy branch manager at a store in Bristol. This is my first branch manager position. On a personal level, it means I’ll be the face of Waitrose in Pontprennau, responsible for ensuring that the store embodies great food and prices.
How do you feel about winning The Grocer 33 store of the week on your first day? It is a great phone call to get on your first day. It reflects the hard work of the partners in the store – hats off to department manager Lucy Williams, who was in charge over the weekend, and the rest of the team. I look forward to working with everyone to make sure we keep improving.
What do you think was behind your victory this week? I think we were really well geared up for the Jubilee weekend. We had anticipated it being a big event and so when it came to it we were able to offer really good service and availability.
How did the Jubilee weekend go at the store? It was a great weekend for us. The weather was not exactly what we would have hoped for, but it didn’t put people off - even barbecue food sold well. People must have been eating under gazebos! Us Brits carry on regardless of the weather. Overall, it was definitely a bigger trading event than the royal wedding last year, especially with the extra trading day.
What sold best in the run-up to the Jubilee? Heston Blumenthal did it again with the Diamond Jubilee strawberry crumble crunch, which sold really well in store. Also, everything needed for street parties and celebrations did well - we sold lots of wine, bread rolls, burgers and bunting.
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