Waitrose: we got it wrong
2:59pm Friday 8th August 2008
MANAGEMENT at a supermarket in Cheadle Hulme which caused controversy when it opened 12 months ago have admitted some mistakes have been made.
Steve Long, store manager of Waitrose in Station Road, was talking at a Village Partnership meeting to report on the store’s first year in the town.
There, he admitted there had been various problems with the building such as drainage off the car park, noise and light pollution for nearby residents at night, and of how the car park was, for a time, abused by teens congregating in the car park after hours.
He also admitted residents’ fears of increased congestion in the town centre had, to a point, been realised. He said a survey carried out by the store earlier this year had shown the vast majority of Waitrose customers visited the store by car and that a ‘significant’ number of customers travelled to the store from outside the Cheadle Hulme area.
In 2006, when Waitrose first unveiled their plans for the town, it always denied accusations from critics a supermarket would bring excess traffic to the area.
Waitrose have now also concluded their marketing strategy was wrong for a ‘non-known area’, and revealed in the next few months they will be launching a marketing initiative in the town to try and encourage more local people to use the store.
A spokesman for the company insisted the company was still good for the town: “As with any new Waitrose branch, we carry out a survey to ensure we are meeting the expectations of the local community and the business as a whole.
“We found over 80 per cent of our trade at Cheadle Hulme comes from within 10 minute drivetime, and only five per cent comes from 20 minutes or beyond, which means it is attracting a higher percentage of shoppers locally than the average Waitrose food shop.
“With regards to the car park, our findings demonstrated that there are plenty of spaces both for our customers and those shopping elsewhere in the town. The car park, which was formerly a pay and display public amenity, provides up to three hours free parking for anyone visiting the town.
“We are therefore confident we are achieving our aim of having a positive knock on affect for the high street. Businesses like Pimlotts butchers are thriving and we are keen to continue to work with retailers to help retain spend within Cheadle Hulme.”