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ed by you...
Our magazine, exclusively for colleagues
Winter 2015/16
The real thing
Sea to storeCounter colleagues
set sail on a fishy adventure
Never forgetJustin’s emotional
walk in daughter’s
memory
Our expert Christmas tree supplier reveals his
secret to growing the perfect festive forest
North Wembley Express
Rema Boumerdassi (pictured left)
won two coveted titles at the Sales
Assistant of the Year Awards 2015.
Peterborough Extra
Green-fingered volunteers got their
heads down to design and create
a remembrance memorial garden
close to the store.
Belfast Distribution Centre
Driver Michael Booth ran the Great
North Run with friends and family
in memory of his sister, Lesley, who
passed away suddenly last year.
The runners raised money for
Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
Eston Extra
Colleague Frank Harker cycled past
eight stores in the north-east on a
journey dubbed the Tour de Tesco to
raise cash for our charity partnership.
Walkden Extra & Farnworth Extra
A team of colleagues from two local
stores spent a day in the sun giving
Walkden Community Cricket Club
a much-needed lick of paint.
Chorley Buckshaw Superstore
Colleagues and customers clubbed
together to buy Customer Assistant
Chris Halpin a new bike after his
was stolen.
Pembury Superstore
The store in Kent celebrates
15 years since it opened –
meaning lots of celebrations
for loyal colleagues who have
been there from the start.
Honiton Superstore
Colleagues from across Devon
made Team Tesco Tweed to
support the annual Jolly Good
Jaunt. The charity walk is
organised by Hospiscare to raise
money for hospices in the area.
Sheffield West Street Metro
Customer Assistant Georgina
Simpson was a lifesaver when
she rushed to the aid of a customer
who had collapsed while in store.
Share your pictures by using #TimeForT
HelloWow… we really can’t believe it’s already the third edition of t. Hasn’t the year gone quickly?
As we’re all aware, 2015 has been a tough year for the company. That being said, everyone should take credit and be proud of how resilient you’ve been throughout the turbulence. Being part of the panel allows us to hear about so many stories of the fantastic successes from up and down the country.Bringing t to life simply wouldn’t have been possible without these and it makes putting the magazine together much easier. A huge thank you to everyone.
This year also saw the first UK Colleague Conference – a day that brought us together as one team and really delivered the message that, whatever area of the business you’re in, we are ultimately
Find out more about our panel
Log on to OurTesco to read short
biographies on our panellists and
get in touch with them on Yammer
Tell us what you think Share
your stories on Yammer, by
post at the address below or
email to [email protected]
working towards the same goal: serving Britain’s shoppers a little better every day.
This edition of t rivals Santa’s workshop with how jam-packed it is. Allow yourself to get excited about Christmas, New Year and beyond with stacks of great festive (and not-so-festive) stories to read.
You’ve given us some great feedback about t so far and we’re really looking forward to bringing you even more exciting news and features in 2016.
As ever, feel free to contact any of the panel if you’d like to suggest a story idea. Contact details for us all can be found on OurTesco.
Whatever you’re doing for the rest of the year (and the beginning of the next one), we send our best wishes to you all. See you in 2016!
Tesco Editor-in-chief: Simon Rew; Contributor: Deborah Hatch Summersault Editor: Chris Evans; Content Director: Justine
Ragany; Sub Editor: Kate Feasey; Art Director: Wayne Hayton; Designer: Natasha Lipinski Cox; Production Manager: Julia Fulford;
Advertising: Adam Turner. Photography Tom Campbell, Ewen Weatherspoon, Harry Chambers, Roy Kilcullen, Kevin Nicholson,
Jonathan Pow. Get in touch with us by post Colleague Communications, Cirrus B, Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1GA
Your panel
Give&Take
3
10 The 12 ways of Christmas
How we’re making the
festivities go with a bang
22 Delivery date
UK & ROI CEO Matt hits
the road for our customers
26 Gone fishing
Fishmongers get to
grips with Gold Training
34 Here’s to the new year
Take our quiz to help
decide your resolution
38 This is for you, Sophie
Store Manager Justin walks
in daughter’s memory
41 Showing our support
How we’ve joined forces
to help the nation’s military
6 Range reset is go
Our product refresh is
taking our stores by storm
9 Dawn of the undead
Colleague signs up as
an extra in zombie movie
REGULARS
FEATURES
Our magazine is
printed on FSC-
approved paper
Please recycle
after use
16
Contents
Chris HowellsA passion for new experiences has
already seen adventurous Chris
work in five countries around
the world. Now he has added
number six to the list, as he
swapped life at Wootton Bridge
Express on the Isle of Wight to
become Lead Trade Manager at
Lerwick Superstore – the most
northern tip of Scotland.
travellingMy life in…
Fighting the war on terror“I worked in an anti-terrorism
training camp while I was living
in Pakistan. We were helping the
locals to eradicate terrorists by
teaching them how to protect
themselves. I was working for
the Americans – Condoleezza
Rice (former US Secretary of
State) was my boss!”
LIVING IN THE BUSH“I moved to Tanzania in 1985 and joined a bunch of hunters to live in the bush for about a year. I learned how to survive out there and started taking pictures of animals when I went on safari. I’ve always been an outdoors person and sleep better in a tent than I do in a house.”
SHETLAND ISLANDS
ISLE OF WIGHT
“I’d been in the Isle of Wight for
seven and a half years and it was
time for a change. I saw the role
at Lerwick Superstore in the
Shetland Islands and got it –
opportunities like that don’t
come up too often. I’ve lived in
the Tropics, so know what the
heat is like, so the Shetlands
will provide the opposite. Not
many colleagues can have
transferred from one end
of Britain to the other.”
From south to north
“I worked in an anti-terrorism camp while
I was living in Pakistan. We were helping
the locals to eradicate terrorists”
This is the life “I might be 50 but this won’t be
my last move. I’ve always lived my
life by the motto, ‘never look back’
– that way you can only move
forward and do something
different. After the Shetlands,
I’d like to go somewhere else:
if Tesco said they wanted me to
go to a store in Asia, I’d go. I’d
work in the Outer Hebrides if
they wanted me to.”
FAMILY TRADITION“Moving around is something that’s always been part of my family. My grandad worked on the East African railway, so we always had Swahili artefacts around the house. I love experiencing new countries and my wife, Sam, is the same – she was born in Holland and brought up in the Far East, so anywhere with family is home to us.”
If you’re planning your next move,
search ‘internal opportunities’ on
OurTesco – colleagues can see
positions 14 days before they’re
advertised externally. Applications
are now open for our 2016 Early
Careers programmes too. Apply for
our school leaver, summer internship
and graduate opportunities at
tesco-earlycareers.com
Boost your career
5
Simplifying our rangeProduct reset to make shopping trips easier for our customers
Customers have told us that they
want an easier shopping trip. So
we’ve set about simplifying what’s
on our shelves to help them find
more of what they want to buy at
prices they can trust.
Colleagues across the business
have been working hard over
recent weeks to reduce the range
and improve the availability of the
products that our customers
love most. The changes include
removing a product or pack
size, based on the feedback
from customers.
The range reset is helping us
to get the balance right between
providing choice and convenience,
and improving availability of the
most popular products, while
keeping to our commitment to
deliver the widest choice and
best value in the market.
Here’s what colleagues – and
a customer – have to say about
the reset project so far.
“The range has changed but I can still buy everything I need from Tesco. Even if I have to try an alternative to something I used to buy, I can get all the products on my shopping list.”
SALLY PALMER, CUSTOMER
“A team of six of us have been working through the night to make the changes. We’ve seen a dramatic change, with several products and brands moving or being replaced. It’s been pretty seamless and the new layout has highlighted any new brands and reduced-to-clear lines.
“The change has been smooth and the instructions from the central teams have been easy to follow.
“Availability has improved for customers and prices are better. I’ve also noticed that some of the healthy-eating products have given the range a new lease of life. After hearing all the updates about where Tesco is going, this brings it to life.”
STEPHEN CARTY,
CUSTOMER ASSISTANT,
COVENTRY CROSS POINT EXTRA
“Some customers have contacted us about products and we’ve suggested alternatives. We haven’t received much contact, which suggests customers are responding well.”
JAMES LAMONT, CUSTOMER
ENGAGEMENT CENTRE
Value… guaranteedWe’re making sure our
customers never pay more
for their branded shop and
can be reassured they are
getting great value, thanks
to our Brand Guarantee.
By offering an immediate
price match on branded
grocery products, we are
helping customers on their
weekly shop while removing
the hassle and inconvenience
of having to carry around all
those vouchers.
A UK FIRSTOur Brand Guarantee makes
us the first UK supermarket
to automatically take money
off customers’ current bill,
based on a price match with
all other leading retailers.
We made the change
after listening to feedback
from colleagues and
customers about making
shopping trips easier. It is the
latest step in our plan to
bring us back to our slogan of
Every Little Helps.
Customers can take
advantage of Brand Guarantee
both in store and online to
help people get more from
their shops.
For all the latest on Brand
Guarantee, visit OurTesco.
7
Check out the things
causing a stir with us
(and what’s not so in style)
Look to the stars
Love it or loathe it, you
can’t fail to notice that
Star Wars is back. It’s
one of this year’s most
eagerly anticipated
movies and our range
of galactic products
is sure to be a hit.
Healthy food… for less
We’re making it more affordable to eat
healthily. Our healthy living range is growing
and now includes a host of tasty treats,
such as our butternut squash spaghetti.
A stressful Christmas
Avoid the festive frenzy. We’re doing lots to
ease the pressure, including selling party
foods that cook at the same temperature.
Broken resolutions
Have trouble sticking to
your New Year goals? If
it’s keeping to a diet or
taking up a new hobby,
make 2016 the year you
finally achieve it. Maybe.
What’s hot?
What’s not?
How will you spend your retirement?
The new Tesco Retirement Savings Plan is here, so it’s
a good time to think about how you’re saving for yours
scheme – like our new Tesco Retirement Savings Plan – have got more flexible options for when and how they access retirement savings.
This means that you can now choose to take your retirement savings all as cash or a bit at a time (called drawdown). Or if you’d prefer a guaranteed regular income for life, you can use some or all of your savings to buy a pension annuity instead.
Want more info?Contact Pension Wise for some free and impartial advice at pensionwise.gov.uk or if you’d like to see how much you might have for your retirement, try out our Tesco retirement planner at TheColleagueRoom.com
Enough to lastMany of us are living longer with better health, so it’s important to make sure you have enough money to enjoy every year of your retirement.
Start savingThe earlier you begin, the more you’ll have, but it’s never too late to make a start and take advantage of the extra bit of money we pay and the tax relief you receive. At Tesco, when you save between 4% and 7.5% of your pay, we match it (so you’ll get double your money) – that’s £20 for every £8 you save, including tax relief.
Your choiceNew laws mean people over 55 in a defined contribution pension
NAME Kitchen Concierge.
WHAT IS IT? Our winning
entry at the Retail Week
Hackathon, the Kitchen
Concierge is a great way to
come up with recipe ideas
and shop for ingredients
while rustling up a meal.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Speaking into a device, the
customer is shown a list of
recipe ideas based on their
most recent Tesco order.
Once the customer selects
a recipe, a display shows the
cooking method and allows
them to add items to next
week’s shopping basket.
WHAT’S NEXT? After
winning the award, Tesco
Labs will adapt the idea so
it fits in with a trial for other
connected home devices.
The latest innovation
from our tech gurus
When in Rome,
make time for t. It’s
not exactly how
the adage goes,
but it didn’t stop
David York when
he visited the
Italian capital. While
the Reading Whitley Street Express
Team Leader enjoyed the Roman
ruins of the Colosseum, he also
took the time to grab a snap of
himself holding up the first edition.
Q & A
With the Hindustan Service
Centre (HSC) in India
relaunching as Tesco Bengaluru,
Pooja explains what it means
Pooja Jois, Manager,
Space, Range
and Display –
Property Services
Things are changing in India.
What’s happening?
We’ve changed our name from HSC but will continue to develop solutions across the business to make colleagues’ jobs easier and to serve customers better.
What is the local significance
of the name change?
By changing, we’re recognising the skills and knowledge here, and the role colleagues play to serve customers. The change has reinforced bonds between colleagues in Bengaluru and across the business. Bengaluru is also the local name for Bangalore, which instils pride.
What sort of impact have the
changes had on colleagues?
With the changes in the business and our new structures, we see us adding more value to the work we’ve been doing. It’s a new chapter in our journey and we’ll continue to serve our customers a little better each day.
What’s the aim for the future?
Our focus is to increase our contribution and keep the customers at the heart of everything we do. Our plans include improving the colleague experience across a number of sectors, including finance, people, channel, technology, product and enabling services.
SNAPPED!The weird and wonderful
places colleagues take
their copy of t
Launching new careersWith the help of the Prince’s Trust, we’re giving
youngsters work opportunities across the nation
training. Wherever we can, our ambition is to find them permanent jobs, with 80% of the 750 Launch recruits we’ve put through the programme achieving that.
“It has changed my life,” says Charles, who is now on a management development plan at Stretford Extra after a successful placement. “I couldn’t pay my bills and was facing up to moving back with my parents. Launch helped me to build a career.”
This November is the second anniversary of our partnership with the Prince’s Trust to help reduce youth unemployment and we’re already working closely to select the next wave of starters, who will get opportunities across the UK.
It’s more than a year since Charles went through the programme and he says the benefits stretch a long way.
He adds: “I can’t think of a better idea to help young unemployed people to prove themselves and get into employment.”
“I graduated in 2012 but couldn’t find a permanent job anywhere – I just wanted to work,” explains Customer Assistant Charles Foster, as he looks back at his struggle to get employment.
“I did a few temporary jobs but found that it was hard for new graduates to get the chance to prove themselves.”
It wasn’t what Charles (pictured above) had envisaged after leaving Salford University. Instead of cutting his teeth in a permanent position, Charles found himself bouncing between temporary jobs and unemployment. His big break finally came in the shape of our Launch programme.
Working with the Prince’s Trust as part of its Movement for Work scheme, we have been giving 18- to 24-year-olds who aren’t in work, education or training (NEETs) for more than six months the chance to get valuable on-the-job experience and vocational employability
Digital Marketing
Manager Ashwin
Naiksatam’s dad
enjoys the first
edition in India.
If you’ve been out and about with our magazine in tow,
share a picture on Yammer with #snapped
9
Our superhumans
Meet our crew of extraordinary charity challengers, who are doing their bit
to boost the fundraising totals of worthy causes
Nathan TraceyDotcom Manager, Fratton Park Extra
Sean BurkeService and Insight Operations, Welwyn Garden City
Jill ConnellCustomer Service Manager, Dundee
A host of Lionel Messi wannabes took to the field for charity in a colleague football tournament on the south coast. Organised by Nathan and colleagues, the competition saw 28 teams from Groups 46 and 47 go for glory. More than £700 was raised for British Heart Foundation and Wellbeing of Women, with Burgess Hill Superstore taking the trophy.
Anyone who has climbed Ben Nevis during the day knows how tough it is, so it was no surprise that Sean Burke found it even harder at night. He tightened up his hiking boots to conquer the UK’s highest mountain as part of the Ben Nevis Midnight Challenge.Thankfully, Sean isn’t scared of the dark and collected £6,107 for the Alzheimer’s Society.
metres climbed1,344
Jill Connell’s generosity saw no bounds as she rallied her colleagues to help raise donations for a local church that was ransacked by criminals. TVs were stolen and items were left damaged at Coldside Parish Church in Dundee following a break-in, and Jill managed to raise £360 – and lots of groceries for the cafe – to help the recovery.
NEVER GO ANYWHERE ALONE
“We filmed one of the scenes at
a retail park on the outskirts of
Tamworth. I was part of a pack
of zombies and had to pretend
to kill someone – it was a bit
strange. It’s never a good idea
to be on your own when there
are zombies about.”
ALWAYS PLAN AHEAD
“I’m really into zombie movies and
loved The Walking Dead, Dawn of
the Dead and 28 Days Later, so
it was a dream come true to be
When horror-movie lover Bobby
Wallett took a day out of Lichfield
DC to be an extra in zombie flick
The Infected, he picked up some
useful survival advice
involved in something
myself. All those films
show that, if you’re going
to survive, it’s important
to have a plan and stay
close to food.”
SILENCE IS GOLDEN
“It might seem like a good
idea to jump in a car to make
a quick getaway, but that just
attracts attention. When I was
staggering around, we were
always in big hordes. If one zombie
spots you, there are more coming.”
GET OUT OF TOWN
“Don’t go near towns or cities if there’s
an outbreak – there are more zombies
there. One young lad had the right
idea when he cycled up to us while
we were filming. He saw us dressed
as zombies and went back the way
he came from… very quickly.”
footballers taking part200
raised for charity£360
HOW TO…
… survive a zombie apocalypse
Bobby (far right, in black) joins the
crowd for another, er, high-speed chase
The festivities are here again and we’ve
got all sorts lined up to make sure this
year’s celebrations go off with a bang
h f h d
ways of Christmas
The 12 THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Christmas is a time for getting together with friends and family, so it’s important to make sure everyone is happy while maintaining festive traditions.
From a variety of food options – for the day itself and all the parties around it – to a raft of decorations and the presents, we’ve got it all covered.
For the first time, we’ve divided up our Christmas food into sections based on occasions to make it easier for customers to find what they want. There’s Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and something for New Year too, which can be mixed and matched for all tastes.
We’re also offering an extensive frozen food range for customers short on time and loads of Free From products so everyone is catered for and, as you’ll read on page 13, the quality is just as high. Add to that our distinct Christmas themes for this year’s decorations, some great F&F outfits and brilliant stocking fillers, and everyone’s got something to shout about.
1
Festive celebrations
Want more?Watch a video
of our Christmas
shoot at OurTesco.
com/xmasshoot
11
FOOD TO WOW ANY GUEST
From traditional classics to new ideas that can’t be found anywhere
else, our Christmas spread is sure to leave people salivating. For
the first time, we’re catering for almost every guest that is coming
round for dinner with an in-depth range of frozen and Free From
products – with our gluten-free products really standing out. To
ease the stress of hosting a get-together, our finest* party food
all cooks at the same temperature, meaning more time to enjoy the
party. We set a group of hungry colleagues loose to taste test
a selection of the products in this year’s range.
“My family does
Christmas the
Slovakian way,
even though we’ve
been in Northern
Ireland for 10 years
now. We eat carp and lentil soup,
and open presents on Christmas
Eve, which is our main celebration.
While most people put their
decorations up at the start of
December, we wait until the week
before Christmas Day and leave
them up until 6 January.”
KAROL GYORE, BELFAST DC
2Celebrating in our own way
“We hold Christmas
Day at our house
and I’m always the
organiser. I decorate
everything and get
the food ready. My
husband is the only one who eats
turkey, so I normally cook roast beef
or gammon. I like to have everything
sorted, so we sit down and decide
what we’re going to order two
months before the big day.”
TRACEY EDWARDS, PERTH EDINBURGH
ROAD SUPERSTORE
3
13
Prosecco & Elderberry Crisps“The crisps are different to
what you’d normally get.
They fizz while you eat them,
which I’ve never known
anything like before.”
CHERISE RUMORE,
TRING SUPERSTORE
Free From Profiteroles“They were great and I
didn’t know they were Free
From before I tried them. I wouldn’t have
believed it because you can’t tell they’re
any different to the standard ones.”
KIRSTY MCDADE, DUNSTABLE EXTRA
Hot or Not Croquette Roulette“Things like the croquette
roulette are really fun and
are good entertainment
for a Christmas party with
people of all ages.”
JAMIE RALPH,
AYLESBURY EXTRA
Festive celebrations
“The two-tier Christmas cake is really
good and one of the best I’ve had”WAYNE COLLIER, BERKHAMSTED METRO
(l-r) Connor Green from Dunstable Extra,
Cherise Rumore from Tring Superstore, Jamie
Ralph from Aylesbury Extra, Wayne Collier and
Shameem Owen from Berkhamsted Metro, and
Kirsty McDade from Dunstable Extra
“I tried out some of the frozen and
Free From Christmas dinner options.
The Turkey in Ten had all the flavour
of a joint cooked in the oven and the
Frozen Roast Potatoes are the best
I’ve eaten. The Free From Yorkshire
Puddings tasted as good as any others
I’ve had. Everything was cooked in 40
minutes, so it was really convenient.”
JOE MAYATT, STORE MANAGER,
HASTINGS HAVELOCK
ROAD EXPRESS
… and for dinner
15
WE’RE HELPING STORES DURING THE RUSH
As the aisles get more crowded in the run-up to the big day, we’re sending in reinforcements to help store colleagues at their busiest time of year. Following the success of Feet on the Floor during last year’s festivities, we’re doing it again.
Each of our office colleagues has already started their rota of regular shifts in stores – offering valuable support to serve our customers. The help doesn’t stop there though. We’re using the next few months to trial a new online tool that, if successful, could give colleagues across the business a chance to suggest and discuss possible improvements to the way we work.
“It allows colleagues to put ideas forward and comment on others to develop them,” explains Capacity Manager Kirk Bowen, who used the site after his first shift. “You can see if others have had similar ideas and get the chance to discuss them together.”
And if any of those conversations produce a new idea that we can introduce, Feet on the Floor will keep giving all year round… not just at Christmas.
5 Every little helps this Christmas
We’ve put our customers at the heart
of this year’s TV advertising campaign
– thanks to the help of celebrity friends,
Ruth Jones, Ben Miller and Will Close.
The trio are forming a new Tesco
family, who will appear in a series of
TV ads that re-establish our famous
Every Little Helps slogan.
The adverts focus on the different ways
we are helping customers throughout the
festive period, with the first two looking
at our finest* and Free From ranges.
The family will become a regular
fixture on our screens over the next few
months and made their first appearance
on a Brand Guarantee ad in October.
Turn to page 47 for a behind-the-
scenes look at filming for the ads.
• It’s always busy during sales season. Stay calm by seeing
your colleagues – and customers – as being in the same boat as
you. A smile or kind gesture goes even further in hectic times.
• If you hit the sales yourself, pick a calming colour and imagine
you’re breathing it in to help you relax. As the image spreads
through your body, focus on how it is helping you to chill out.
• There might be even more customers than usual, but don’t forget
that going that little bit further can still make a big difference.
6 Our tips to survive the sales season
4Festive celebrations
Keeping it realOur Scandinavian supplier reveals
his secret to growing the perfect
Christmas tree… move to Scotland
“There must be something in the air up here,” smiles Christmas tree grower Kjeld Kristensen, as he weaves his 4x4 along a dirt track flanked by fir trees.
“Once the harvest is over each year, I vow never to put myself through it again because it’s so intense. But this is my 16th time now, so I keep coming back for more.”
Speaking without even the slightest Highland twinge to his Scandinavian lilt, Danish-born Kjeld is making his way through Drynie Woodlands, the home he and his family have made for themselves just north of Inverness. A home enveloped by Europe’s biggest Christmas tree farm.
Around 600,000 of the 7.5 million trees that surround Kjeld’s vehicle are cut carefully by hand in a painstaking annual harvest that spans five weeks of chopping from 5am each day until well into the night.
PERFECT FOR PREENING
Despite being in the Scottish Highlands, surprisingly there are no heavy winters or frosts to contend with. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream coming into the Moray Firth estuary, a mild breeze keeps the farm unseasonably warm all year round, while the mercury plunges across the rest of Scotland.
The real mystery is in the art of growing Christmas trees Kjeld’s way. Born into a proud farming family in Jutland in southern Denmark, the traditional farmer likes to keep his methods and ideas a closely guarded secret.
As Kjeld pulls up in a low-lying field, this year’s intake of trees is already being graded and measured.
“The secret to growing a great tree is all up here,” Kjeld says coyly, tapping the side of his head. “But handling every
tree is very important to me. We trim and shape them by hand, and if the quality is not good enough, we leave it in the ground. We try to grow the trees as evenly as possible and most look exactly the same.”
A young farmer in Scandinavia during the 1980s, Kjeld decided to up sticks and start his own tree farm – and family – in Inverness. Since then, the farm has swelled from 40 to 1,000 hectares, while his family has grown to include four children. But the expansion has been meticulously planned.
“We plant roughly six trees for every five we cut,” says Kjeld. “This is not forestry. Our trees are grown for purpose in exactly the same way as the cut-flower industry.”
What’s more, the farm’s pot-grown variety of trees can be transferred to the garden after Christmas, so they don’t leave any waste either.
7
Kjeld’s group of farmhands enjoy
the unseasonable warmth
17
Festive celebrations
The pot-grown trees and our Nordmann fir cut trees were a hit last year, but Kjeld is working on a host of new varieties.
“If we want to make a tree narrower or heavier, we simply take in seeds from Siberia and try a new species,” Kjeld adds. “We’re working on 10 different varieties, including the Pot-Grown Blue Spruce. It’s hard and prickly, but people love the colour.”
A DANISH CHRISTMAS
After nursing his saplings for between 8 and 10 years until they’re fully grown, ready to be cut and sold, Kjeld has no desire to see any of his beloved trees go to waste.
To show the trees off in all their glory, Kjeld has designed custom-made display pallets to keep them standing tall and looking lush throughout the festive period.
After spending most of the year tending to trees that will be the focal point of people’s Christmases, how does the Danish expat decorate his home to toast the festivities?
“We go for a Nordmann fir, only twice as big as the ones we sell. We don’t put much on it – no tinsel, real candles and not too much bling. I want to see the tree,” he adds.
“When the children were small we had a pot-grown tree for each of them – one in every room, with useful gifts such as socks and pencils for every day running up to Christmas.”
The useful, advent calendar-like presents are a Danish innovation and as he descends through the last green field Kjeld reveals another Scandinavian ritual: “It’s tradition in Scandinavia to gather around the tree in the evening for drinks and to sing songs together, so we do that too.”
It must be Christmas spirit that’s in the air.
O Our range of Christmas trees are available to buy with Clubcard Boost for the first time this year.
® ®MALTESERS and MERRYTEASER are registered trademarks. ©Mars 2015.
19
WE’RE HAVING FUN FOR CHRISTMAS
We all know it’s busy at this time of year, but that isn’t a reason not to get into the festive spirit. There’s all sorts going on across the business this Christmas, including this year’s festive fundraiser, Every Little Elf. It’s a great chance to get involved with your community and add to the £5 million we’ve already raised for our National Charity Partnership with Diabetes UK and British Heart Foundation.
There are loads of things happening locally too, with colleagues coming up with their own ideas to raise some cash (and a smile). One store doing just that is Egham Superstore in Surrey, after they shot a calendar with male colleagues dressed in a selection of seasonal outfits.
Lead Trade Manager Laura McCormick says: “Lots of colleagues have committed to buying a calendar and our local British Heart Foundation shop has agreed to sell it too. It’s the talk of the store.”
9 How we’re offering a helping hand
Whether it’s helping those a little
less fortunate than you or making
your own money go a bit further this
Christmas, we’re on hand to assist.
Keep to a budget If our great-value
Christmas products aren’t enough,
get some tips to save money or
reduce your food waste throughout
the celebrations at realfood.tesco.com
and lovefoodhatewaste.com
Neighbourhood Food Collection Our
twice-yearly event is happening again
from 3 to 5 December. Volunteer to take
part in your local collection or add a
few products to your shopping list to
help us hit our five-million-meal target.
Thank you vouchers We’re giving
colleagues exclusive discounts and
offers to get the festive season off
to a good start. Keep an eye out
for yours in November.
For the second successive year, we’re selling a variety of special
Christmas hats to raise some cash for charity. On sale in 600
stores all over the UK, the 12-piece festive range includes
headgear for men, women and children, and is gathering funds
for The Trussell Trust and FareShare through sales. Last year’s
range sold like hotcakes and, with prices starting at £5, the
hats are great value too, so get yours quickly.
10 F&F is warming customers’ hearts (and heads)
8
Festive celebrations
Unloading
“All products delivered to the
Fulfilment Centre are quality and
quantity checked to ensure
defects are not passed on. We
scan each product and place
them in a red tote, which then
travels along a conveyor ready
for one of our colleagues to
put away in a specific
location in our pick tower.”
LUBUBI MAMBOLEO
11
“We have a device on our
wrists that directs us to the
location of products our
customers have ordered. It’s an
efficient way of working, which
helps when it’s busy at Christmas.
Our role is to be obsessed with
quality and accuracy, therefore,
delivering the perfect order.”
MARK MACPHERSON
Picking
“We’re at the end of the conveyor
belt to pack the orders ready for
the lorry. All of the orders are
scanned to help us track the
journey end to end. Throughout
the day, we must focus on
making sure customer orders
are dispatched on
time through one of our
lorries or carriers.”
RACHEL STEPHENSON
Dispatch
DELIVERING CUSTOMERS’ PRESENTS
While most children are looking to the sky on Christmas Eve to spot Santa’s sleigh, their parents will have already collected their gift deliveries.
Fenny Lock Fulfilment Centre in Milton Keynes is the hub of our customers’ non-food online orders all year round, but it comes into its own at Christmas. A major redevelopment project ended in October, so colleagues at the state-of-the-art site are more than ready for this year’s shopping lists.
Fenny Lock has been handling orders from customers all over the UK since it opened in 2013, but recent changes mean we can now handle more orders at peak times compared to last year – with colleagues manning several thousand product locations in the centre.
As the big day approaches, here’s how Fenny Lock colleagues are sprinkling their festive magic to make sure our customers have their presents all wrapped up.
21
Get ready for
customers to go
mad for Star Wars
this Christmas
as the crew
goes on another
adventure. With
the new movie set
to get sci-fi fans excited, we’ve got a
wide range of Star Wars toys available
in store and online, from an extensive
Lego range to lightsabers, figures and
BB-8, a cool app-enabled droid that
reacts to your interactions.
Colleague Communications Panellist
Mark Kanaris, Store Manager at
Sheffield West
Street Metro, got
his hands on some
of the toys to try
out before they
hit the shelves.
He says: “We’ve
already been
inundated with
requests for Star
Wars toys in store.
The Jedi Master Lightsaber and
Millennium Falcon are particular
must-haves, with children, and
parents reliving their youth.”
12 Gifts that are out of this world
Festive celebrations
“All our customer orders are
packaged to protect them
during transit. Our new system
tells us which size package
the order should go in. If we
identify any defects in the
order, we have an alert
mechanism that triggers a
colleague to investigate.”
PAULA SIERZCHULA
Packing
“We’ve got a Customer Journey team in
Fenny Lock who work closely with our CECs.
It means we can follow up on calls even more
effectively – giving customers great service”
KAREN HUTCHISON,
BUSINESS PARTNER, CEC
UK & ROI CEO Matt Davies slips on his
high-vis jacket to go out on a delivery run
The heavy patio door slides across to reveal two
smiling Dotcom drivers. Loaded up with trays full
of products, the duo look up from the home delivery
to greet their customer with a warm hello.
“Hi, I’m Matt,” offers the taller of the two with an
outstretched arm. “Nice to meet you,” returns the
customer as she shakes Matt’s hand.
It might all seem like a pretty normal greeting for
a customer receiving their online order, but there’s
a difference. Matt isn’t your usual Dotcom colleague.
He’s our UK & ROI CEO and today he’s sampling life
on the road as part of a visit to Chesterfield Extra. He’s
being shown the ropes by Customer Delivery Assistant
Ant Turner, who is also a member of our Colleague
Communications Panel, as they tour Derbyshire on
a delivery run.
One person who isn’t fazed by the pleasantries is
two-year-old Ella, who rummages through the basket
to find her treasure: a pack of chocolate buttons.
This is just one of several drop-offs the double act
completes on their trip and, as Matt leans down to
speak to Ella, it’s clear he’s revelling in the chance to
join Ant visiting our customers at home. Once they’ve
parked up after their final call, Matt and Ant discuss
what they have gained from the experience.
Life on the road
Ant and Matt (far left
and far right) make one
young customer’s day
with her delivery
Delivery day
23
How was your day working together?
Matt “It was great and reinforces how important
our home shopping experiences are. We’re going
into customers’ houses, building relationships and
delivering to them every week. That relationship is just
as much of a powerful influence on whether people
shop with us or not as our prices or availability.”
Ant “As we travelled between jobs, Matt and I spoke
about how important the relationship between
drivers and customers is and, although he knew it
already, it was good to be the one to show him what
we do each day. It was a really great chance to talk
to Matt face-to-face.”
Matt, why were you so keen to spend time doing
deliveries as part of your visit to Chesterfield Extra?
Matt “This is the second time I’ve been out with a
Dotcom colleague and I’ve also spent a lot of time
picking for Grocery Home Shopping in store. I’d love
everybody in the business to experience that so they
can see the full impact it has on our customers. I
can never spend enough time talking to customers
and colleagues across the country.”
Ant “Matt was really up for getting involved too.
He was keen to push the barrow and understand
everything that had to be done for each delivery.”
What do you both get out of sharing
experiences like this?
Ant “We spoke about the business and what it’s like
for drivers. Matt got to hear some of the feedback
we receive from customers along the way. We do
have ways to pass this on, but having Matt here
meant he could hear it first-hand.”
Matt “Someone said to me the other day: ‘what
I see I don’t remember, what I’m told I forget but
what I experience I understand’. To me, doing this
is all about experiencing the drivers’ point of view
and helps me to understand the challenges we face.”
ANT TURNER, CUSTOMER
DELIVERY ASSISTANT
“Matt got to hear some of
the feedback we receive from
customers along the way”
Our customer delivery assistants
must do a series of vehicle checks
before hitting the road
Tell us your tips for improvement
Join the conversation on Yammer
and see how colleagues are
serving customers
Give&Take
Read Matt’s weekly musings
Matt writes a Thought for the Week
to colleagues each Monday – keep
up to date by visiting OurTesco
Delivering to customers’
homes is an important part
of our multi-channel ambition
MATT DAVIES, UK & ROI CEO
Did you encounter any challenges on the day?
Matt “We had to get across Chesterfield to make
sure that we delivered on time but had to maintain
a strong link with each customer at every delivery
point. You’ve got to experience that for yourself
to see how it’s achieved.”
What stood out about the reaction you got
from our customers?
Matt “Today’s interactions showed how pivotal
Dotcom is to our customers’ shopping experience.
We gave a free bouquet of flowers from the store
to an elderly lady who’d just celebrated her 90th
birthday and saw a two-year-old girl who was excited
to get her chocolate buttons. They were wonderful
moments to see and it’s our challenge to make more
of those happen for customers every day.”
Ant “We promised to return with another pack of
buttons for the little girl, which is all part of building a
stronger relationship. We deliver right across the age
and social spectrum, and you don’t know who’s going
to open the door – you need to adapt to each delivery.”
Did you enjoy meeting each other?
Ant “Matt is just an everyday guy and instantly put
me at ease. He’s got a calming effect on people and
that’s good – I could have been quite nervous driving
the CEO around, but I didn’t feel it at all.”
Matt “Ant’s a great guy, who is totally in touch with
what our customers are thinking and feeling. When
you spend time with Ant and other colleagues like
him, it just shows how all of us are playing our part
to serve Britain’s shoppers a little better every day.”
“The driver-customer relationship
is a powerful influence on
whether people shop with us”
Exclusive colleague deals only available from Tesco Phone Shops and Telesales to eligible colleagues. Subject to availability and status. Continued employment with Tesco required, visit www.ourtesco.com/our-benefits for other eligibility
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st
Going
for goldWith our fishmonger training bringing gold
standards to our counters, t gets up at the
crack of dawn to find out what it takes to pass
Counter training
27
t’s 5.47am and the coastal town of Newlyn
is in a deep slumber.
Apart from the faint splash of puddles
underfoot and the irregular rhythm of waves
against the breakwater, the harbour is serene.
At least that’s how it seems to the
uninitiated. But first impressions can be deceiving.
Just feet away from the Cornish B&Bs that glow
sleepily over the quay like a reassuring night light,
a secret society is already wide awake.
If visitors to one of Britain’s southern-most points
know where to look, a peek around a large steel door
reveals a room full of men in long coats and knee-high
wellies. Something fishy is going on. Literally.
“Newlyn fish market is one of very few shout
auctions left in the country and we try to keep
it as traditional as possible,” explains fish buyer
Edwin Hosking to four bleary-eyed Tesco colleagues.
“We come here looking for the best quality. A big
indicator is how much the eye is shining and that the
fish hasn’t got any defects from when it was caught.”
Edwin works for Falfish, one of our
biggest UK fish suppliers and an
approved trainer for the Fishmonger
Gold qualification we offer to our
counter colleagues.
While entrance to Newlyn fish
market is normally limited to
registered buyers who have funds
in a secured bond, the doors have
been flung open to show our
customer assistants how the fish
they serve goes from sea to store.
BACK TO SCHOOL
The first stop on a course that
captures all the knowledge and skills
a professional fishmonger needs to
give top-class service to customers,
Newlyn’s market is the perfect scene
setter for what’s to come.
Rows of red trays displaying the finest catches are
surrounded by scores of buyers bidding for fish that
will be sold in stores or chalked on to the specials
board of Cornish restaurants. As each auction ends, a
blue tally is dropped into the tray to confirm the sale.
Truro Superstore’s Jodie Sheldon is impressed. “It’s
good to see where it all begins,” she says. “We get the
fish delivered to our stores and we don’t know how it
gets there. Seeing it for myself helps me to understand
the industry and I can pass that on to my customers.”
As the sun rises from behind St Michael’s Mount on
the horizon, the
harbour’s collection
of fishing boats is
slowly illuminated
outside the market.
Just as there is a wide
variety of fish on sale
inside, the cluster of
boats bobbing in the
harbour is equally diverse, from large beam trawlers
and gill netters to hook-and-line boats.
“The fishermen go to sea day and night, and bring
back their catches to be graded during the small hours
of the morning, before the market starts at 6am,” says
Falfish Account Manager Jessika Inkster, as she leads
our group towards a fishing catamaran that spent the
night on the sea catching sardines.
Called Lyonesse, the boat’s deck is covered with
draping nets and large bins to give the sense of what
it’s like to be aboard a fully operating fishing boat.
I
The Fishmonger Gold Training isn’t the only
qualification store colleagues can do to
improve the service they offer.
The Meat Gold is a similar knowledge-
based course that provides everything
needed to deliver top customer service.
Similar to the fishmonger course, Meat
Gold is created by the Food Ops team
and takes learners on a journey from
field to plate. Your store manager and
people manager can provide details if
these courses – or others – are available.
Golden courses shining brightly
Tour guide for the day Jessika (second
from left) shows off the sardine boat
Counter training
29
After a tour and a chance to quiz the Lyonesse’s
skipper, it’s back to nearby Redruth for the practical
and theory stages of the training.
GETTING HANDS-ON
Housed at Falfish HQ, the newly
built training facility is the jewel in
the supplier’s crown. Developed
especially for Tesco colleagues to
do the Gold Training, the centre
has state-of-the-art counters, a
cookery demonstration area and
filleting sinks for up to 12 people.
Falfish’s centre is one of four
course locations, with others
in Pontypool, Grimsby and
Billingsgate, London. The four
learners on today’s course have already completed the
three-day qualification and were selected for the short
refresher course to show off what they’ve taken from
being Gold standard. And for Jen Goldsworthy, from
Redruth Extra, it has awoken
a new passion.
“When I joined my store, I
didn’t want to work in food.
Now I’m really passionate
about fish,” recalls Jen, who
was one of the first of more
than 800 colleagues to have
done the training since 2012.
“It gives you the confidence
to talk to customers. When
customers realise you’ve got
the knowledge, you want to
keep learning. Since I’ve
taken the course, more people use the counter.”
BRINGING FISH TO THE COUNTER
A trip to the depths of Falfish’s factory highlights
what is done to take the fish bought at the market
in Newlyn and prepare it for sale in our stores.
The loud clatter of the supersonic scalloping is first.
A haze hangs over the speedy shucking, as lines of
workers remove the scallops from their shells and it’s
easy to imagine that it’s steam from their workstations.
Next up is the white fish room, where an array of
seafood of all shapes and sizes is being filleted before
being packaged for delivery.
Observing the filleters slicing their way through the
fish, experienced fishmonger Phil Man reminisces
about his time in the industry. Based at
Redruth Tolgus Superstore, Phil is in his
second spell as a counters customer
assistant at Tesco and also used to run
an independent fishmongers of his own.
“I’ve been working with fish for 45
years, but I still took knowledge from
the training,” Phil says, while picking up
a blade as part of the knife-skills class.
“Seeing the journey helps you feel
part of the fishing community. It makes
a difference and gives you a greater
understanding of our role.”
It’s at this point that the quartet’s
expertise comes to the fore. Getting stuck into the
practical disciplines – filleting fish and laying out a
mock counter – our learners’ customer service
experience shines through. It’s time to get messy.
JEN GOLDSWORTHY, CUSTOMER
ASSISTANT, REDRUTH EXTRA
“When I joined my store, I didn’t
want to work in food. Now I’m
really passionate about fish”
The speedy scallopers get shucking
(above); Phil gets stuck in (below)
Share the tricks of the trade
Search out relevant Yammer
groups to discuss your career
and your tips for success
Give&Take
Want to develop your career?
There’s loads of colleague career
and training opportunities. Speak
to your people manager for more
Kitted out in white coats and blue gloves, the
colleagues chatter away between themselves about
how the counter will look. Using our standard counter
appearance as a basis to the layout, the four share
suggestions, such as grouping species and using ice
to make the fish stand out
more. Falfish’s experts are
on hand to offer tips and
to finesse their work.
Then it’s time to eat the
fish. As a final meal is
rustled up to showcase
the variety of tasty dishes
that can be made from
our counters, chat turns
to the love of fish.
“I was born into a
fishing family and have
been involved in the
community ever since I
was young,” says St Austell
Daniels Lane Superstore colleague Jo Goode.
“Finding people who are passionate is really
important to encourage customers to buy from our
counters. We need to capture that passion and training
courses like this help with that.”
By spreading the message and passion throughout
the country, Cornwall’s clandestine fish markets might
not stay such a secret.
PHIL MAN, CUSTOMER ASSISTANT,
REDRUTH TOLGUS SUPERSTORE
“Seeing the journey helps
you feel part of the fishing
community and Tesco”
(l-r) Phil, Jodie, Jo and Jen show their
expertise to lay out the mock counter
Filleting the Falfish way (above);
polishing up on their cookery skills (right)
TEXT GIVE TO 86777 TO DONATE £1 TO AGE UK AND
PREMIER FOODS WILL MATCH YOUR GIFT WITH ANOTHER £1*
JOIN OUR FESTIVE FAVOURITES
AND HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR
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*Premier Foods has already made a contribution of £50,000 + VAT and will further match your £1 gifts up to an additional maximum of £50,000.
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With low everyday prices everything’s roséBetter everyday prices on selected wines
36
61
-35
-71
-2
You must be over 18 to purchase alcohol.
Making service simpler
Colleagues want Tesco to be simpler and
we all know that making it easier to serve
customers is critical to our success.
We’ve made a start by introducing a
simpler purpose that unites us all – serving
Britain’s shoppers a little better every day –
and by stripping back our measures to
focus on what really matters most through
The Big 6. That’s the big picture, but with lots
of simpler changes happening across our
business, it’s the perfect time for colleagues
to get involved and make a difference.
SIMPLER SAVINGSWe’re saving time (and paper)
with our Brand Guarantee.
The scheme offers simple,
immediate value rather than
vouchers – leaving behind the
scraps of till roll that would get
lost, discarded or, perhaps most
frustratingly, wouldn’t scan.
For our customers, no
vouchers mean no waiting or wondering if they
could have got a better deal elsewhere. And for
colleagues, it’s one less thing to worry about at
the checkouts, so we can focus on great service.
New plans to benefit us and our customers
Making it easier to serve customers is a no-brainer – by freeing up
time, everyone can focus on delivering a brilliant shopping trip
MAKING OUR WINE PRICES SIMPLEROne of the biggest things we hear from customers is
that they want simple, stable, low prices. And over the
past year we’ve responded by improving availability,
making our prices more stable with fewer changes and
introducing simpler promotions. Our wine range is a
powerful example. We know
customers don’t trust that
half-price wine promotions
offer real value. So instead of
running half-price promotions,
we’re offering the same simple,
low prices on wines – all the
time. That’s better for
colleagues as it means fewer
labels to change and a clearer
range with better availability.
A simpler shopping trip
Simpler service
33
We’re introducing a couple of new
initiatives to give colleagues extra
SIMPLER PRIVILEGECARDYou can now order a second
Privilegecard, so another member of
your family in your household
can get discounts at Tesco too –
making it easier to shop with us.
The Privilegecard discount cap
has also increased from
£800 to £1,000 a year. To
get your second card, visit
TheColleagueRoom.com
“The only way of making any money is by simplifying the
business and making sure we have products on shelves”
Customer Service Assistant
There’s lots more we can simplify
and we want to hear how you
think we can make it easier to give
our customers better service.
Yammer is the place to share your
challenges and top tips to keep it
simple. If you don’t know how
to use Yammer, find out at
OurTesco.com/yammer-faqs
If you see it, simplify it
Making it easier for your money to go further
WELCOME TO THE COLLEAGUE ROOM
TheColleagueRoom.com is our brand-new self-service
website for colleagues. You can currently use it to
manage your Tesco Retirement Savings Plan and order
a second Privilegecard. Over the coming months, more
benefits will be available on the site, so you can make
even more choices in one place. To register, you’ll need
your employee number and your 12-character One
Time Passcode (OTP) from your payslip.
Healthy living
Be more active
Take a break
Do more
for others
Tring Superstore colleague Cherise
Rumore ponders her new year goals
New Year quiz
35
Turn over to discover your resolution
What is your biggest regret
for 2015?
A. I feel guilty about not using
my gym membership more
B. I feel guilty about having
yet another takeaway and
finishing that last pack of
chocolate chip cookies
C. I feel guilty that I haven’t got
enough time to tick everything
off on my to-do list
D. I feel guilty that I haven’t
visited my grandparents
Which celeb do you admire most?
A. Jessica Ennis-Hill – I get tired
just watching her!
B. Nigel Slater – delicious, healthy
food… that looks nothing like
what I’m eating
C. Gwyneth Paltrow – actress,
mum, blogger, author, but
how does she always look
so serene?
D. Bob Geldof – his commitment
to helping others is humbling
What’s most likely to be gathering
dust on your shelf?
A. Medicine ball and Dyna-Band
B. A vegetable spiraliser and my
Hemsley + Hemsley cookbook
C. Spa voucher and that novel I’ve
been wanting to read for ages
D. A brochure of charity fundraisers
that I’d love to take part in at
some point
Which of these luxuries
would make the biggest
difference to you?
A. A personal trainer to keep me
on track… and away from another
night in front of the TV
B. A personal chef to take the effort
out of eating a well-balanced diet
C. A personal assistant to tackle
all the little things I need to get
done each week
D. A bottomless bank account to
give me the time and money
to support all the people and
causes that mean most to me
Which Star Wars character do you
identify with most?
A. Yoda – he needs to look after
himself to stay on top of his game
B. Jabba the Hutt – chomping on
unhealthy things is Jabba’s flaw
C. C-3PO – you’ve always got
something on your mind
D. Darth Vader – it might not be
intergalactic domination, but
your ambitions come first
You’d love people to say to you…
A. ‘You’re always so active.
What’s your training plan?’
B. ‘You eat so well. Tell me
how I can make sure I get
my five a day’
C. ‘You’re so calm. I feel chilled
out just talking to you’
D. ‘You’re so kind. It’s great
spending time with you’
If you had a remote control for
your life, what would you do?
A. Rewind to when you could
run around the school
playground for hours
without getting tired
B. I’d delete the cream cake
I just scoffed
C. Either rewind to being a
child with no responsibilities
or fast forward to retirement
D. Pause to make more time
for other people
Which of the following
achievements would make
you proudest?
A. To run the London Marathon
B. To win the Masterchef crown
with my top cooking skills
C. To live a completely stress-free
life with no worries
D. To have helped build a school
in a third-world country
It’s that time again when we start to think about our
ambitions for the new year. If you need help deciding
yours, take our handy quiz for some pointers
What’s your resolution?
Tell us about your resolution
Share your score on Yammer
and give us updates on your
goal by using #NYResolutions
Give&Take
Let us give you a helping hand
Keep an eye on OurTesco and
our other websites as we help you
make a little difference to your life
And our survey says…
MOSTLY B – HEALTHIER EATINGKeeping to a healthy, balanced diet would be a great
resolution for you. It’s easy to start making a difference:
try to make sure you’re eating plenty of fruit and veg, and
drinking lots of water. To help, January sees the launch of our
new healthy living ready meal range – Beautifully Balanced –
with all products including at least one of your five a day.
MOSTLY C – TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELFIt sounds like some me time is in order. Keep some time
every day for yourself, even if it’s just 10 minutes. Asking
others to help with tasks might give you time to do that,
while practising mindfulness could be the perfect antidote.
Treat yourself to some Treaclemoon Coconut Bath and
Shower Gel, and pretend you’re on a tropical island.
MOSTLY D – HELP OUT YOUR COMMUNITYPerhaps doing things for others would make you feel good.
This could be anything from raising money for charity to
helping children read at the local school. There’s always lots
of charitable activities happening at Tesco. Find out what’s
going on in your area on our National Charity Partnership
website at tescocharitypartnership.org.uk
MOSTLY A – LET’S GET FITYou’d love to be fitter and now’s your chance. Why not set
yourself some achievable fitness goals to keep you motivated?
Perhaps you could sign up to a charity challenge and plan a
training regime for it. If that’s not your bag, don’t forget that all
colleagues get discounted gym memberships at health clubs
across the country. Visit OurTesco to find out more.
Tot up your scores and plan your aims for 2016
how clean will you feel?
more choice
of Andrex® in store*
With even
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Inspired by his daughter’s cancer fight, Justin Kline
embarks on a charity walk to keep her memory alive
“It’s bloody hard –nothing prepares
you for that”
Sophie (second from left) enjoys happy
times on a family holiday to Sydney
It was the worst moment of Justin Kline’s life.
Sat in a doctor’s consultation room, Store Manager
Justin and wife Janice are told the heart-wrenching
news no parent should ever face.
Their seven-year-old daughter Sophie has been
diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and
only has months left to live.
Within a few weeks, Justin’s lively little princess
had gone from a carefree schoolgirl with her entire
life ahead of her to a victim of the deadly childhood
disease, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
DEVASTATING NEWS
“Sophie was a healthy, bubbly seven-year-old
girl,” recalls Justin, as he looks back at the time his
family was delivered the news.
“We noticed a squint in her eye and took her to
the opticians. She was having an MRI scan within
two weeks. When we were told she had a tumour,
my world felt like it was falling apart around me.
“You’re told that news, then have to go out and tell
her everything will be alright, even though it’s not. It’s
bloody hard – nothing
prepares you for that.”
Long days spent
desperately trawling the
internet and contacting
experts in search of a cure
were in vain, and Justin had
to brace himself for the
terrifying inevitability.
Ten months after the initial
diagnosis, Justin, Janice and
their 13-year-old son James
said an emotional goodbye
to Sophie at their family
home in Dorset. But not
before making some
priceless memories, with
trips to Disney and Lapland at the end of last year.
“We had one last Christmas together as a whole
family. It was so hard putting on a brave face for that
amount of time,” Justin recalls.
“For the first few months we tried to go on as
normal. In January, Sophie started to show the
symptoms. First she couldn’t walk, then she lost the
use of her hands and eventually she couldn’t talk
either. It was difficult to see her getting worse day
by day. She was diagnosed in July last year and
passed away this April. It went so quickly.”
A WALK IN HER MEMORY
To commemorate Sophie’s brave fight, Justin set
himself a gruelling challenge. A 100-kilometre walk
over two days, visiting 33 of our stores along the way.
Justin isn’t alone in his task. As the 33-year-old walks
each leg of his journey, from his local Poulner Express
in Ringwood, he is joined by colleagues for extra
motivation. The lifelong Bournemouth fan also drops
in at the Premier League club’s Dean Court stadium to
meet manager Eddie Howe, who is a patron for Julia’s
House – the hospice that supported Sophie in her final
days. And to mark his efforts, golden chevrons are
added to the fascia at Justin’s Weymouth Metro.
As Justin crosses the finish line at Poole Extra – the
store located closest to Julia’s House – Janice and
James greet him with a warm embrace. Their family
may have gone through an unimaginable ordeal over
Justin’s charity challenge
39
You can add to Justin’s
fundraising total by
donating to his Just Giving
page at justgiving.com/
Justins100kmwalk
Want to donate?
Colleagues gather at Poole Extra
to congratulate Justin for walking
100 kilometres in two days
Justin gets a vote of confidence from
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe (right)
the past 18 months, but they’re still as strong as ever.
“Janice is a rock, but we couldn’t have done it without the
support of the trained nurses from Julia’s House,” explains
Justin, with his wife by his side. “Sophie didn’t go
to the hospice because the nurses cared for her at home.
Getting that moral and mental support is important, as well
as the chance to have a cuppa while they played with her.
“When it’s an illness like Sophie had, it’s more about care
than cure, so I wanted to give something back to them for
what they did for us. The hospice is heavily reliant on
fundraising, so whatever we give makes a real difference.”
As Justin goes home for a well-earned rest, his total
continues to rise towards £125,000, thanks to overwhelming
support from colleagues and customers. With his story
spreading on Yammer and other social media channels,
Justin is receiving messages from across the UK.
He adds: “I knew I could get sponsorship from the stores
locally as I’ve worked with lots of the store managers, but to
have support from elsewhere is truly amazing. It’s great to be
part of the Tesco family and I’m so grateful to everyone who
has helped – I couldn’t have done it without the support.
“I just want to make a difference and do something to
make sure Sophie’s memory lives on. Whatever I do for
charity, it’s nothing compared to what she went through.”
41
One year on from signing the armed forces corporate
covenant, we’re working in tandem with the military to show
support for the people serving our country
Side by side
Armed forces
our Armed Forces Network to bring together former
and current members of the military and their families
– giving colleagues the chance to meet like-minded
people across the country. The network will also
organise several activities, ranging from social events
to ones supporting colleagues with armed forces links.
Now successfully immersed in life at our Catterick
store – which sits at the heart of Europe’s largest
military base – Dean is a huge advocate of the
partnership. Although he hasn’t turned his back
on his military background just yet.
“I see this store like a company within my regiment,”
Dean jokes. “The store manager heads it all up, team
managers are like commanders, supervisors are
corporals and so on. Seriously, any organisation that
takes on ex-military people is getting a good deal.
They’ll get a grounded, organised and driven person.
“Having job security if my
husband does get posted
elsewhere again is a
big thing for us”
F
CHARLIE AITKEN, CUSTOMER
ASSISTANT AND MILITARY WIFE,
CATTERICK
Join our Armed Forces
Network by visiting
OurTesco.com/our-armed-
forces-network
Get involved
ull Corporal Dean Nolan knows he
made the right decision at the right time.
After 26 years dedicated to Queen
and country, the father of two made the
life-changing choice to call a halt to his
military career and embark on a new challenge.
From travelling the globe serving in the army to
handling the emotional responsibility of repatriating
friends lost at war, Dean’s career had many highs and
lows. And his instincts told him it was time to stop.
However, like many ex-servicemen, Dean didn’t find
it easy. His next mission was to find the perfect role to
make the move from the forces to Civvy Street. That’s
when he discovered our career transition programme.
“When I looked at my options for a second career,
Tesco was somewhere I could use the leadership skills
I’d developed during my time in the army,” explains
Grocery Manager Dean, as he shows t around his latest
post, Catterick Garrison Superstore.
“After a long time in the army, you become so
used to the basic tasks you have to do. It came to
the point that I knew I could either move into an
office management job or leave. So I left.
“I’ve been in Catterick since 1997 and my family
has made it home, so Tesco was a great opportunity to
stay here. It provided a new challenge because I had to
learn everything from scratch and was given a mentor
to help bridge the gap between the military and retail.”
A BRAND-NEW START
Helping Britain’s servicemen find careers after the
military is one promise we made when Chief Customer
Officer Robin Terrell signed the Ministry of Defence’s
corporate covenant on Tesco’s behalf last November.
We pledged to support military families, help
reservists to volunteer in the forces and raise money
for military charities. In November we also launched
43
“I know that not everyone coming out of the military
is fortunate enough to get a second career straight
away, although a lot has changed over the past five
years, thanks to companies like Tesco.”
FORCES ON THE FLOOR
Catterick Garrison Superstore is one of the stores that
benefits most from our commitment to the forces.
A walk around the aisles highlights how important
the store is to the military community in the north-east
town, with men and women in combats browsing the
shelves at every turn. So it’s no surprise that a large
collection of the colleagues have strong military links.
“Tesco has made a massive difference to my family,”
says Customer Assistant Charlie Aitken, one of several
military wives working in Catterick. “I used to work
at a store in Windsor, but when my husband got
posted here, I transferred too.
“We’ve got three children, so having job security if
he does get posted elsewhere again is a big thing. It
takes the worry away for what might happen because
you don’t always get a long notice time.”
That’s not all. With some families moving away from
their home towns to be posted at garrisons across the
country, we also remain flexible with rotas and giving
time off to make sure they can look after their children
and enjoy priceless time together when tours end.
It’s an approach that’s brought Tesco to the forefront
of military communities. A united feeling added to in
Catterick when the store took the lead in fundraising
for The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal
and became one of 14 nationwide to fit a poppy on
the ‘O’ of its sign to show support for the cause.
“The forces are the heart of our community, so
we need to do a lot to support their needs,” says Store
Manager Jason King. “We’re in regular contact and
always hold events to show how important they are
to us. We had military bands at the front of store
during the Poppy Appeal and held a Help For Heroes
breakfast earlier in the year to say thank you.”
Dean showed his bottle to walk
away from life in the armed forces
and into a second career
There’s a military uniform at every turn
in Catterick Garrison SuperstoreDEAN NOLAN,
GROCERY MANAGER,
CATTERICK
Charlie knew she’d still have a job with
Tesco – despite moving hundreds of
miles away to be with her husband
“Tesco was somewhere
I could use the
leadership skills I’d
developed in the army”
Armed forces
Grub’s up at our armed forces breakfast
in Aldershot earlier this year
And the partnership is going from strength to
strength. Recent Catterick forces recruit Joe Cocker
only moved to the north-east from Cyprus this
summer and says in the short time he’s been here,
Tesco has made a huge difference to him and wife
Sarah, who joined the store as a customer assistant.
“Tesco seems to understand what it’s like to be in
a military family,” adds the Unit Welfare Officer.
“After being deployed in a country
like Cyprus, where many wives
can’t work, it’s great to see Tesco
helping military families get jobs
in the community.
“There are a lot of jobs advertised
for military personnel too and many
ex-service people come here after
leaving. Tesco is known throughout
the area for their forces support and
I can definitely see myself moving
here in the future.”
With a reputation like that, we
hope even more people will be
making the right decision to join
us in the future.
When Customer Assistant Angela Fife got
involved with the Military Wives Choir, she
was delighted to find that we were singing
from the same hymn sheet.
In-between shifts in Catterick, Angela
is part of the famous musical group and
counts a Christmas number one, an Albert
Hall appearance in front of the Queen and
a world record among her career highlights.
“I’m proud to be one of three founding
members in the choir,” beams Angela from
her normal post on the checkout.
“It’s such a laugh and we’ve done some
amazing things. I’d always wanted to go
to the Albert Hall, so to sing there in
front of the Queen was beyond
my wildest dreams.
“It was hard work for two
days, but it was absolutely brilliant.”
As a recognisable face in the military
community, Angela is a local celebrity
and is regularly asked about the choir.
Despite some of the great experiences
she’s had as part of the choir, she came
close to not being part of it at all.
“I wasn’t going to join in at first, but
I got dragged into it by the other wives
– I haven’t looked back since,” Angela says.
“I never miss a rehearsal or concert. I
love raising money for charity and getting
together with the wives.
“For the Queen’s Diamond
Jubilee, we did 34 concerts
and Tesco supported me
– I wouldn’t get that in
any other job.”
“I wasn’t going to
be involved and got
dragged into it by
the other wives”
Robin Terrell (above right) backs the
corporate covenant and signed it on our
behalf; Sarah and husband Joe are a prime
example of a family on both sides (right)
“Singing for
the Queen was
beyond my
wildest dreams”
find me in the cake aisle
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TV ad campaign
47
MICHELLE “Our job was to record a video of what was going on while the adverts were being filmed. The filming happened over two days, so me and Ciaran did the first day, and Jade and Ant did the second one.”JADE “We interviewed people who were working behind the scenes. There were colleagues from Newmarket, the film crew and the cast there – it was a great atmosphere and everybody was excited.”CIARAN “I was nervous at first, but that soon passed. One thing that stood out was how much goes into a short advert. It’s intense – everything has to be perfect.”MICHELLE “The chemistry between me and Ciaran was fantastic. We bounced off each other while filming the video and mixed with the other people in the ad. The Christmas adverts were filmed on our day, so we ended up having a sing-song in the snow.”CIARAN “It was my idea to do some singing for a bit of fun – even though neither of us can sing. Who’d have thought it would make the final video?”
ANT “My favourite bit was speaking to the scriptwriter. When he initially wrote the script, he didn’t know which actors he was writing for and had to adapt the lines to fit each of their characters.”JADE “It was a weird feeling to be on a film set. Most of the extras were colleagues, so it was the first time most of us had ever seen anything like that before. It’s good that colleagues got to play a part in the ads.”MICHELLE “I got to interview Ruth Jones, Ben Miller and Will Close – although it took some setting up to get right. I’d been sitting next to Ruth earlier in the day, but didn’t realise it was her until afterwards. Typical me!”ANT “I spoke to the actor who was playing the checkout assistant in the ad. As she becomes a more recognisable face, it’ll be exciting to say I got to interview her while the first ad was filmed.”CIARAN “It was great to see one of the ads on TV for the first time. I didn’t know when they were going out, so it was a surprise to see it appear on screen.”
As the film rolled on our new TV advertising campaign, four of the Colleague
Communications Panel went on-set to record their own behind-the-scenes video
Lights, camera, ACTION
The devil was in the detail as the
film crew prepared for the cameras
Colleagues joined the cast
as extras for the TV adverts
Fake snow was used to give the
Christmas ads a wintery feel
Check out the video our
panellists made on set at
OurTesco.com/adbts – and don’t
forget to keep your eye out
on TV for our ads
Want to watch the
video?
Michelle
and Ciaran
Jade
Ant
It’s time to get active at
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A year’s gym
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Enter by sending your answer to us at [email protected]
Which city is our Christmas tree supplier based near?
Get your year off to the perfect start with a 12-month
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Each of Nuffield Health’s 77 gyms across the UK are
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And with a team of experts ready to help you plan
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The winner of the competition will receive all the usual
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Visit nuffieldhealth.com/gyms
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In the meantime, enter the
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Terms and conditions: No cash alternative available. Membership must be activated before 1 February 2016
WIN!
Want to strike toilet roll from your
weekly shopping list for an entire year?
That’s what we’re offering to one lucky
colleague and their family in t’s prize draw,
courtesy of Kimberly-Clark. The winner will
get a year’s supply of Andrex® toilet tissue
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49
A year’s supply of Andrex® toilet tissue
Terms and conditions Entry to our colleague competitions and prize draws is free. To enter, you must be a Tesco colleague and live in the UK or Northern Ireland. You can only enter each competition or prize draw once and only the first entry per colleague per competition or prize draw will be accepted. Colleagues or personnel who are involved in administering the competitions and prize draws or drawing the winners cannot take part. The prizes include products only and will not include additional costs, such as travel expenses. Entries must be received by 23:59 on Friday 18 December 2015 and the winners for each competition and prize draw will be independently selected at random from all eligible entries. Each winner will be notified via email within seven days of the closing date. If the winners do not respond to the email communication within 10 days of notification to organise delivery of the prize, alternative winners will be selected. The editor’s decision is final and no cash alternative will be offered for any prize. Personal data will only be used for the purpose of administering the competitions and prize draws, and notifying the winners.
Win with us
To have your name entered into the hat to win the prize, simply send us an entry
to [email protected] and cross your fingers for good news. Oh,
and don’t forget to include your name, address and contact details for your entry.
Try out a selection of our relaunched
hair and skincare range, courtesy of a
sumptuous t giveaway. World Beauty was
released in October to offer a range that
caters for all women. It includes lines from
top cosmetic brands PAKS, Vatika and –
exclusively to Tesco – Tamese & Jackson.
Most of the products in the range are usually
only available from specialist retailers, so by
offering them on our shelves, we’re making
it easier for customers to get what they
want. There are 10 goody bags of products
to give away to t readers. If you’d like to be
entered into our prize draw to win one,
simply send your name and contact details
to us at [email protected]
A World Beauty goody bag
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Try out Nuffield Health
I am very excited about my first Christmas at Tesco and I know what a busy time of year it is for all of us. It’s critical that we continue providing great
service for our customers, being quick to respond to their needs and doing whatever we can to help them have the best possible Christmas (you’ll see some brilliant examples on pages 10-21).
I try to spend as much time as I can speaking to shoppers in store, so I particularly enjoyed the opportunity in this issue to visit customers in their homes and deliver their groceries (pages 22-24).What really struck me while I was out in the van with Ant Turner was the power of small gestures – one elderly lady we visited was celebrating her birthday, so we delivered flowers from the Chesterfield Extra team, along with her shopping.
We shouldn’t lose sight of the power of simple gestures, like that card. If we keep things simple, we can spend more time doing the right thing for customers. We’ve been working hard to simplify our business (pages 32-33), but the power to really change things lies with every one of us, no matter what our role or where we work. So let’s work together and share ways to cut out unnecessary
complexity, so we can focus on serving our shoppers a little better every day.
For a completely different kind of service, take a look at our feature on how we’re supporting the armed forces (pages 41-44). Our commitments to both former and current members of the military are particularly visible in stores such as our Catterick Garrison Superstore, but it’s a subject that is important to customers and communities across the nation. Supporting the forces also means we have a chance to benefit from the unique skills and experience of colleagues who have served in the past, or who still serve as reservists.
Finally, although we are all going to be busy, I’d like to wish you and your loved ones the very best for Christmas and the New Year. I hope you can find some precious time to celebrate with family and friends. Thank you for your commitment and energy, and here’s to a Merry Christmas and a successful and happy 2016.
And finally…UK & ROI CEO Matt Davies gears up for the busy festive season and
looks forward to what we all hope will be a prosperous New Year
Boost now on.
(Looks like Santa’s going to be busy.)Get ready to double the value of your vouchers in
14 departments in our fantastic Christmas Clubcard
Boost event. You’ve got until 27th December to
exchange your vouchers and until 30th December
to redeem them.
Better start harnessing those reindeer Santa!
T&Cs apply, for details sledge along to tesco.com/clubcard
in vouchers in Clubcard Boost
£5 = £10
I used my points
at Christmas to
book my train
ticket home.
Current Account
Liz RockleySenior Campaign Manager,
Tesco Bank
Current account customer
Visit OurTesco.com to apply.
The Tesco Bank Current Account is available to residents of England, Wales and Scotland, aged 18 or over. Accounts are subject to status. For spend in Tesco: you’ll get 1 point for every £1 you spend on your debit card, together with your standard Clubcard points (1 point for £1). Spend outside of Tesco: 1 point for every £8 in each debit card purchase transaction (standard Clubcard points don’t apply). Exclusions apply. The Clubcard scheme is administered by Tesco stores who BSF�SFTQPOTJCMF�GPS�GVMěMMJOH�QPJOUT��&BSO�SBUFT�BSF�TVCKFDU�UP�DIBOHF��:PV�NVTU�QSPWJEF�ZPVS�FNQMPZFF�OVNCFS�BU�BQQMJDBUJPO�TUBHF�UP�CF�FMJHJCMF�GPS�UIF�QPJOUT�PĚFS��'PS�GVMM�colleague deal terms and conditions, please visit ourtesco.com.
Whatever you spend your points on this Christmas,
remember you’ll collect Clubcard points faster when you
use a Tesco Bank debit card in store and online at Tesco.
Permanent Tesco colleagues will receive 2 points for every £1
spent - double what you’d get with a Clubcard.