Thursday is trade day at Blakemore's branch in Walsall, and for general manager Stuart Hill and his team it can be one of the busiest of the week as customers stock up on some great deals.
Hill is new to the job  it's only his sixth week  and the Scotsman is busy getting to know his customers.
However, he already appears impressed by the professionalism of those he has met. "The customers we are dealing with are switched on. They have invested in their business and know where they are going, and many are looking to expand."
Hill knows his customers are keen on promotions, which is why the one-day specials every Thursday go down so well  when The Grocer visited Walsall last week the place was buzzing. The depot does have some local competition but it benefits from having an excellent location  traffic willing  by being bang on junction 10 of the M6.
It also opens long hours, seven days a week. Hill is helped by a team of 62 full-time and part-time staff as well as a senior team comprising deputy manager Mark Owen and operations managers Neil Sheldon, Nigel Tucker, John Grant, Paul Salsbury and  somewhat confusingly  another Stuart Hill.
Before joining Blakemore  a job he spotted by looking at the ads in The Grocer  Hill had spent his whole career in the cash and carry sector.
It includes 22 years with Trademarket north of the border, mostly on the four West Coast depots, plus spells at Bestway in Gateshead and Makro in Glasgow. Hill says his new job is challenging, but adds that it was a great help finding that the culture of the Blakemore's business similar to what he had experienced at Trademarket.
And he is clearly loving every minute of his new role.
{{INDEPENDENTS }}
Hill is new to the job  it's only his sixth week  and the Scotsman is busy getting to know his customers.
However, he already appears impressed by the professionalism of those he has met. "The customers we are dealing with are switched on. They have invested in their business and know where they are going, and many are looking to expand."
Hill knows his customers are keen on promotions, which is why the one-day specials every Thursday go down so well  when The Grocer visited Walsall last week the place was buzzing. The depot does have some local competition but it benefits from having an excellent location  traffic willing  by being bang on junction 10 of the M6.
It also opens long hours, seven days a week. Hill is helped by a team of 62 full-time and part-time staff as well as a senior team comprising deputy manager Mark Owen and operations managers Neil Sheldon, Nigel Tucker, John Grant, Paul Salsbury and  somewhat confusingly  another Stuart Hill.
Before joining Blakemore  a job he spotted by looking at the ads in The Grocer  Hill had spent his whole career in the cash and carry sector.
It includes 22 years with Trademarket north of the border, mostly on the four West Coast depots, plus spells at Bestway in Gateshead and Makro in Glasgow. Hill says his new job is challenging, but adds that it was a great help finding that the culture of the Blakemore's business similar to what he had experienced at Trademarket.
And he is clearly loving every minute of his new role.
{{INDEPENDENTS }}
No comments yet