Customers at Morrisons' Devizes branch in Wiltshire expect freshness and quality in a spotless environment, and staff have been rewarded for focusing on these areas with a Top Store award. Our shopper was impressed by how clean, tidy and well-merchandised the store was, especially as it was so busy with people stocking up for the Easter weekend. It was also the only store to provide a full basket of items. While the 20,000 sq ft shop is on the small side, it is among the highest earners per sq ft of any Morrisons outlet in the country, according to store manager Mark Watkinson. This is an achievement as CACI data indicates Morrisons is not particularly well suited to the area with 39% of Devizes residents classed as wealthy achievers, while a typical Morrisons attracts 21%. Sainsbury's, the retailer most suited to the area according to CACI, is only a stone's throw away, which is an added pressure for Watkinson, but he says shoppers stick with Morrisons for its quality. "The locals are concerned about freshness and quality, which is our real focus," he said. "Morrisons may not traditionally appeal to residents in this area, but they know they get good quality food here. "One customer, who used to regularly shop at Waitrose, switched to us when she realised she could get the same quality of fresh foods for half the price. Even wealthy people like a bargain, if they don't have to compromise on taste."



Q&A with Mark Watkinson Store manager of the week


 


What is your local competition like? Our closest rival is Sainsbury's, which is literally a few steps away. Although we are aware we are in competition with them, I always think it is better to focus on keeping your own house in order rather than obsessing about how someone else is doing. The simple truth is that my staff work extremely hard to keep the store well stocked and spotless and the customers respond to that by coming through the door again and again. What kind of management headaches do you have to deal with? When I came to this store in November 2007 there was a history of absenteeism, sickness and high staff turnover. I wanted to tackle that straight away and I am happy to say we now have low levels of all these. I always think it is better to keep the staff you have, and find ways to make sure they are happy at work instead of having to continually retrain people. Often members of staff who may not be flourishing in one area will find a niche for themselves in a different department. I believe that everyone can achieve their potential given the right opportunities. How do you motivate staff? By getting stuck in! There is no point in establishing a 'them and us' mentality between the cleaners, floor staff and managers. I started my career with Morrisons 21 years ago as a warehouse worker and I am never afraid to grab a mop and clean the toilets if they need to be done. How do you manage availability? Ensuring we maintain a high level of availability is the most important part of our jobs, as well as cleanliness. We have many different systems in place and bake at lunch and dinner time so customers can have a freshly made product at most times of the day. What would you like to change about your store? I want to make it larger. Ideally it would be 50,000 or 60,000 sq ft. There is no doubt that we are doing extremely well for a store of our size, but could do even more if we were bigger.


 


Asda Hollingbury, Brighton


1 - This store was extremely busy and consequently there were a number of packing trolleys and cages blocking the aisles, but staff were working hard to clear the debris and restock shelves. Our shopper was disappointed when she asked where she could find an item and was directed to the wrong aisle. We visited on 21 March at 1.10pm. Our shop lasted one hour and 10 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was 16 minutes.


 


Morrisons Devizes, Wiltshire


0 - Despite visiting at a hectic time, this week's Top Store was clean and tidy, and very well-stocked. Staff were especially helpful when asked where products were and escorted our shopper to the correct aisle. There were plenty of special offers and all the checkouts were open, which impressed our shopper. We visited on 21 March at 12.50pm. Our shop lasted 57 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes.


 


Sainsbury's Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire


4 - The produce, chilled food and wine aisles were littered with trolleys, which made it hard for customers to manoeuvre. As well as several out of stocks, our shopper said the own-label olive oil looked spoiled and chose not to buy it. However, the staff went out of their way to help and there were plenty of checkouts open. We visited on 21 March at 12.55pm. Our shop lasted 55 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes.


 


Somerfield Chapel Allerton, Leeds


2 - This Somerfield was clean and tidy, but there were a few gaps on shelves. Our shopper said that members of staff were especially cheerful and apologised for not having dried pasta in stock. This store was also very busy but all five checkouts were operating to minimise queues. We visited on 21 March at 11.12am. Our shop lasted 45 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was two minutes.


 


Tesco Handforth-Wilmslow, Cheshire


1 - Our shopper was surprised that this store seemed busier than during the Christmas period. Customers struggled to get past the many packing trolleys that blocked the aisles, while staff were working hard to restock the shelves quickly. However, our shopper was wrongly charged more than double the right price for the carrots. We visited on 21 March at 11.35am. Our shop lasted one hour and 25 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was 11 minutes.


 


Waitrose Northampton, Northamptonshire


1 - This Waitrose store was light, airy and modern, and delivered an excellent shopping experience. However, the own-label pasta was out of stock as a result of supply issues. Ten of the 12 tills were open, which our shopper said was sufficient. We visited on 21 March at 12.15pm. Our shop lasted 50 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was four minutes and 30 seconds.


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