Ebbw Vale is known for its industrial heritage. What’s it like to be a retailer here? The whole reason there’s a town here in the first place is because of the Ebbw Vale steelworks, which closed around 20 years ago. The town has gone through regeneration since then. A lot of housing is being built around the shop, and we’ve seen an increase in customers as a result. We’re the biggest supermarket in Ebbw Vale, and very busy. Most of our 300 colleagues live in and around Ebbw Vale, so we have a community feel.
What are shoppers coming in for? We’re a food-based shop – a lot of customers comment on the size of our range. Our dotcom operation covers a big area, going as far as 90 miles into parts of north Wales – it includes some affluent areas, so our online customers are a different demographic to those who shop in store, who tend to be more budget-focused. We see a lot of Finest products bought for dotcom.
Do you stock many Welsh lines? We try to support Welsh businesses and suppliers when we can. We have a Welsh alternative in every category. Some of our big brands include Peter’s, who make sausage rolls and pasties; Llaeth Y Llan yoghurt; Brecon Carreg water; and Edwards, a Welsh butcher. They all sell really well.
The transition between Christmas and new year can be challenging. You must be delighted you’ve scored so highly. I joined this store in October 2024 (it’s my 10th year as a store manager), and we took a lot of learnings from my first Christmas into this one. We increased the number of temps we recruited, taking 35 overall, which really helped. We felt a lot more prepared.
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Asda wins cheapest supermarket for a healthy shop to kick off new year
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Tesco Ebbw Vale wins top supermarket in the East Wales Valleys
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What is The Grocer 33 and how does it work?
How was Christmas trade? Similar to previous years, we really saw a switch into Finest, with people shopping up for Christmas. We had a really strong performance.
Has there been much disruption from the recent snow? We are right at the top of the valley, so if it’s going to snow anywhere, it’s here. As with any time it snows, milk and bread gets shopped heavily, but generally we haven’t had any supply or delivery issues. The team here are used to it, so they tend to just crack on.
Tesco revived its blue and white stripes this week as part of its new value marketing – how has it gone down? It’s a bit retro. We want to put real emphasis on everyday low prices, and the blue and white makes it stand out again. Already a few customers have mentioned it reminds them of the old-school Tesco Value – so the message is getting through.
What are your priorities now Christmas is behind us? We had a big refit just under two years ago, so we’re looking good investment-wise. January is always about going back to basics and resetting in order to go big into Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day.
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