Sainsbury's Didcot

Kevin Rowse, Sainsbury’s Didcot

Winner: Sainsbury’s Didcot

Store manager: Kevin Rowse

Size: 42,000 sq ft

Opened: 2004

Market share: 55%

Nearest rivals: Tesco - 0.7 miles, Waitrose - 4.8 miles, The Co-operative - 4.8 miles

Store data source: Analysis by CACI. Call the market planning group on 020 7602 6000

How did your staff react when they heard the store had won? They were proud and elated. My colleagues are very proud of the store, its place in the community and the high level of service they give to customers.

Why do you think your store did so well? I have got a highly engaged team of colleagues who really understand what the customers want in terms of customer service. In our store, we say that it only takes 26 muscles to smile at a customer. I know that’s a cliché, but it’s true.

Our mystery shopper noticed a stand for a local hospice in the store. What work does your store do in the community? We encourage local organisations to use the store for collections. And we always make sure we support local charities. We supported our local hospice Helen & Douglas House during Hospice Care Week last week.

How are Halloween sales shaping up? Early sales are looking fantastic. I think the product range is better than ever. Children’s fancy dress costumes are proving very popular.

Are shoppers buying into Christmas yet? Yes. Early Christmas sales are looking good. If we put ranges on sale now, it gives shoppers the opportunity to spread out the cost of Christmas. People are very savvy and will purchase early. We also know customers have a lot of Nectar points saved up for Christmas.

What other departments are doing well in your store? Sales are very strong in our clothing department following the relaunch of Tu three weeks ago. And our pharmacy department is performing extremely well, both in terms of over the counter medicines and prescriptions, which shows the whole one-stop shop ethos is working well.

Why do you think Sainsbury’s is doing so well as a company? We’ve just reported 35 consecutive quarters of like-for-like growth. I think our combination of Brand Match and Nectar is a real winner. Customers are definitely voting with their feet in Didcot.