Waitrose Hove: Grocer 33 store of the week

How long have you worked for Waitrose? I started just over 31 years ago, as an assistant section manager trainee back in the Dorchester branch. I progressed to section manager then to department manager, and I’ve done multiple branches in the last 15 years as a branch manager. I’ve spent eight-and-a-half years here at Hove, which we opened after acquiring it from Co-op.

What’s it like managing a newly opened store? I think it presents opportunities as well as challenges. My motivation was to open a branch with a partner-led culture that promotes the partnership role model, where individuals are valued and diversity is embraced. I’ve been privileged to work with this team because they role model what it is to be a partner. They take responsibility and make decisions to do the right thing.

Favourite aspect of the store? The partners are what keep inspiring me every day to be better in my role. I’m just one small part of this whole complex unit. The shop only runs on everyone playing their part and that includes behind the scenes, the central roles, the distribution roles, and the community to be honest.

How do you ensure your store is catering to the community of Hove? There are all sorts of complex parts for that. It’s included in our recruitment – we want our partner diversity to reflect the community in which we trade. We have some great partners in branch who go out and do lots of volunteering, we have an Instagram account, (@Waitrose_Hove) that promotes what we do. We have great relationships with our customers and we listen out for opportunities to support them individually, or in bigger projects around the community.

What are you most concerned about going into winter and what are you doing to prepare? At the forefront of our mind is making sure we can support our partners. We’re offering free food to make sure they get a great meal every day. All partners and temporary workers will have access from 3 October to 6 January, to help with the cost of living. We did it before, during the pandemic, and we’re pleased to be able to do it again. We’ve also doubled our financial assistance fund to help partners who are facing particular difficulties and offering a £500 ‘cost of living payment’. With regards to customers, obviously they will be increasingly discerning with how they spend their money. We know they appreciate the quality, animal welfare and sourcing ethics of our products. And with our Essential range, we offer great value without compromising on that quality.

What do you think is key to managing a Waitrose store? It’s about all of us being the best of ourselves. What I want to do in terms of leadership is give a sense of fulfilment to every partner, so that they’re trusted to make the right decisions for their business, their customers, and their community.

What are you plans for the store in the future? In simple terms, we’ll just continue to invest in people. I’m a strong believer that people are the heart of retail. And if we can do that in an environment that has a genuine relationship with products and purpose, that adds value and makes the world a bit more of a decent place, that’s what we’re investing in.