Store of the week: Tesco Knocknagoney Road, Belfast

Tesco’s flagship Belfast store has just reopened following a major revamp. What’s changed? We had a £2.3m refresh, which finished in July. We’re the first store in Northern Ireland to get a new Beauty World, we’ve got a Virgin travel store, a phone shop, new pizza counters and a new BWS section.

How has Beauty World gone down in Belfast? It’s proving very popular. Not everyone has time to have their eyebrows threaded or their nails done, so this gives them a chance to get pampered, maybe while their man goes round. It makes the whole store feel more inviting.

What else are you pleased with? We are one of the first stores to have a community room, which has been absolutely brilliant and I have already got about 30 local groups using it. It ranges from Barnardo’s to tai chi to a group with guide dogs.

Has the £2.3m spent on the store boosted sales? Yes, there has been a strong uplift, very much across the board.

What do you make of Dave Lewis’ pledge to put more staff hours back ? He has sent a message to all store managers, and it’s been a very positive message to give staff confidence in what they are doing. It’s all about communication. I am recruiting for 30 more staff.

Where will they be working? It’s a mixture, but some of them will be in dotcom, which is really booming, including new pickers and drivers.

You are one of Tesco’s youngest female managers [33] but this is your third refresh as a manager. How does it feel to be a veteran? Ha, I joined Tesco from the graduate trainee scheme, and I’m very proud to be a woman in leadership in Tesco and very grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me.

Has Tesco dominated the news in Northern Ireland as much as it has in England? I think it’s probably been about the same, but morale here is very good and we all believe in what we’re doing.