Waitrose at Barry in Wales won the Top Store award this week after ticking every box on our mystery shopper's list despite its profile being least suited of the top six supermarket chains in the local demographic. It provided a full basket and staff went out of their way to be helpful. When our shopper asked for help, staff took her to the item and checked a few minutes later that she had everything she needed. She said the 25,000 sq ft store was clean, had a pleasant atmosphere, and was well-merchandised. The aisles were clear of packing trolleys and shelf-stackers, and staff were in uniform. Our shopper did not have to queue at all at the checkout. The assistant made eye contact and greeted our shopper and there were no mistakes on the receipt. Help was offered with packing bags so our shopper left the store impressed with the service. Data from CACI indicates that Waitrose is the sixth most-suited retailer to the local demographic, with only 28% of residents falling into the 'wealthy achievers' category. Manager Caroline Sullivan has worked at the store for two months and is on the manager training scheme. "I joined Waitrose on its graduate training scheme when I left university," she said. "The idea was that I would train to be a department manager but I've since worked at eight stores in eight years as part of the scheme and I'm training as a manager."



 Q&A with Caroline Sullivan Manager of the week



What are your greatest challenges on a day-to-day basis? We look to give our partners a passion for selling and to make sure we have superb availability. We want to exceed customers' expectations and show them what we can do at Waitrose Barry. We aim for that to be our point of difference and to show we're not just doing the bare minimum but surprise the customer with excellent service. What makes the store so successful? The same things that are our challenges. We have specialists in-store who are trained in certain areas. They offer advice on products such as cheese or meat to offer a point of difference. Also the fact that we call staff colleagues shows how important they are to Waitrose and how everyone is vital to the store's success. We work as a team and that really shows through the success of the store. What do you do in your spare time? I'm very much into outdoor sports and did the London Marathon last year. Since moving to Wales for this job I have been mountain biking in the Brecon Beacons and I'm really enjoying the Welsh countryside. What is the best thing about being a store manager? I love the diversity of the job. You never know what's going to happen next and there are always new challenges and something around the corner. It's good to see customers walking out the door saying it's a great place to shop and a real achievement to know they've enjoyed it. What's most important to customers? That they enjoy the shop. Shopping is part of everyday life and if people can enjoy it and not see it as a chore then that's great. That's what we're trying to achieve. What plans do you have for your store in 2007? The store only opened in 2004 and is only one of three Waitrose stores in Wales. It's early days for us and we're still trying to get the message out that we're here and offer a different shopping experience to our rivals.


 Availability



Asda High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

1 - This store did not have any McCain hash browns in stock but was clean and tidy with aisles free of packing trolleys and shelf-stackers. Staff were helpful and offered to pack our shopper's bags but only 21 of 32 checkouts were open, which meant queues were forming. However, the receipt was error-free. We visited on 30 March 2007 at 2.29pm. Our shop lasted 49 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was seven minutes. morrisonS Tameside,



Greater Manchester

0 - This store provided a full basket and was tidy and free of packing trolleys. Our shopper said it was well-merchandised and staff were helpful when asked for assistance. However, no help was offered with packing goods and our shopper was unhappy that he had to queue for 12 minutes because there were not enough open checkouts. We visited on 30 March 2007 at 1.30pm. Our shop lasted one hour and 14 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was 15 minutes. sainsbury's



Harrogate, North Yorkshire

0 - This store had no out-of-stocks but did not impress our shopper who said the fresh produce area was dirty, with flattened cardboard boxes left at the end of aisles. She said staff were very helpful when asked for assistance but her receipt contained an error as potatoes were scanned twice. We visited on 30 March 2007 at 12.15pm. Our shop lasted 45 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes.



somerfield Spondon, Derby

0 - The outlet did not stock pre-packed baking potatoes, 1kg bags of long grain rice or own-label fresh penne pasta. Staff were helpful when our shopper asked after products but no help was offered with packing bags. The store was clean and tidy and the receipt was error-free. We visited on 30 March 2007 at 3.55pm. Our shop lasted 35 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was six minutes.



tesco Linlithgow, West Lothian

0 - The store did not stock a number of products on our list, including Wall's thick pork sausages and Ginsters Cornish pasty. However, the store was clean and tidy and the aisles were free of packing trolleys. Our shopper said the store was well-merchandised and all staff were in uniform, but no help was offered with bag packing. We visited on 30 March 2007 at 12.25pm. Our shop lasted 40 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was three minutes.



waitrose Barry, Wales

0 - Waitrose Barry had no out of stocks and was clean and tidy. Staff were helpful and, after our shopper asked for assistance, they checked on her later to ensure she had everything she needed. Help was offered with packing goods and the aisles were clear. We visited on 30 March 2007 at 10.00am. Our shop lasted 55 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was four minutes.

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