Supermarket workers in my constituency run the seventh largest operation in the Waitrose business, delivering groceries to 1,500 homes every week.
It’s a store I’ve shopped in and I was pleased to take a look behind the scenes and hear more about the John Lewis-owned store’s community approach.
Based at the Capitol Centre in Walton-le-Dale, it’s the only Waitrose branch for miles, giving it a footprint that stretches to Lancaster, the West Yorkshire border, Burnley, the Fylde coast and parts of Greater Manchester.
Growth in e-commerce
That means a fleet of 13 vans and 45 drivers are needed to service online orders, which make up a third of the store’s business. It’s a 24/7 operation, with 13 routes leaving the site every morning and another 11 in the afternoon, and I was surprised to find out that orders are picked from the shop floor.
The e-commerce operation has seen 15 per cent growth since launching an annual pass, which manager Frank Young told me is proving more popular due to the rise in fuel prices and changing consumer demand driven by delivery apps. It’s also used by more vulnerable customers, a lasting effect of the pandemic.
These impressive numbers don’t take into account the shoppers who step through the doors every day where they find a store with a real community feel. Every Monday, the café hosts Talking Tables from 10am-11am, a drop-in for anyone who fancies some company, which attracts about 15-20 people every week. The store’s community champion, Kerry, does regular outreach with charities in the area, including Trussell Trust and food banks, and there’s a token scheme to benefit good causes.
Everyone who works at Waitrose is called a ‘partner’, indicating they have a stake in the business, and there are 200 at Walton-le-Dale. They’re free to feed in ideas they have, which has led to initiatives like donating leftover pallets and paper to local groups.
Support for farmers
I was keen to speak to Frank, who’s been with Waitrose for 27 years, and assistant manager Chris about how the company supports farmers through fairer pay for produce supporting regenerative agriculture methods. The business is committed to buying beef, chicken, lamb and pork from UK farms and there’s a push towards encouraging the best farming standards in the world.
With a drive to ensure more people consider where their food has come from, staff go out to talk to schools and I’m interested in how farmers might get involved in these talks.
Other initiatives will come as tech progresses, with digital ticketing, AR headsets and other advances set to drive efficiencies, according to Frank.
Thanks to everyone at Waitrose Walton-le-Dale for being so welcoming.
