Lessons in Retailing & Join our Fairer Living Festival & AGM

Lessons in Retailing – Bakeries

I mentioned in a previous blog that I have been spending a lot of time visiting stores with Sarah Yates, Head of Trading and Mark Taylor, Head of Operations. As part of those visits, we have been looking at how we can grow sales by focussing on particular areas of the stores and improving displays, product availability and promotions. One of those areas has been our In-store bakeries where we have put better fixtures into some stores, added new offers and worked hard to ensure bake schedules are planned to improve availability. 

The results have been great with sales up this year by 32% accounting for over half a million pounds of extra sales. Our bakers have really played their part in providing feedback and getting behind this fresh impetus.; none more so than colleague John Metcalfe, who is the baker at our Hazelmere Food Market. John has worked for us his entire career across different departments and is as passionate about growing sales today as when he first started. I visited the store on 14 April and his display was fantastic. Well done John and great to see!

Me with baker, John Metcalfe at Hazelmere Food market with Mark Taylor 

Join our Fairer Living Festival & AGM

I am really pleased to see how plans are shaping up for our Fairer Living Festival being held on 13 May at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse. The festival will incorporate the Annual General Meeting at the start of the day where I will support the Board in updating members on the Society’s performance last year, some of our key highlights and also what is planned for the year ahead.

With bookings filling up, we are welcoming everyone to join us on what will be a memorable day. So, I encourage all colleagues to bring their family and friends along. There will be something for everyone and if you do, then you could be in with the chance of winning £150 worth of Society vouchers in our exclusive colleague competition. Simply register your additional guests via the booking form under your name and you will be entered into the prize draw. With the winner announced in my blog on Friday 26th, I’ll be looking forward to meeting many of you on the day. Find out more by clicking here.

Childcare briefing in Westminster

As a leading co-operative, we work with others to campaign for change in legislation on behalf of our members. Last week, Sally Bonnar, Chief Operating Officer for Childcare & Pete Westall, Chief Values Officer, presented to a number of MPs in the House of Commons on the opportunities, the challenges and co-operative solutions to some of the issues facing the Early Years sector in the UK. 

The discussion centred around the 'Steps to Success' report written by the Co-op Party and changes we believe are necessary to give parents better access to high-quality, affordable childcare. In particular, we wanted to stress to MPs the unique role & responsibility that the Government & the regulator has given the number of childcare places it funds as well as its role in setting the regulations and therefore costs that all childcare nurseries have to abide by. The discussion was hugely valuable, and we have extended an invitation to the MPs to visit our childcare nurseries and find out more.