Buckingham: Opening

Waitrose Buckingham 769 opened on 5th June 2008.
The following article appeared in the Partnership’s in-house magazine The Chronicle at the time.

The first of our Market Town format acquired branches opened in Buckingham to be met with great enthusiasm by locals and new Partners.
As soon as the branch, which we acquired with Bayswater and Brackley from Budgens in May, opened its doors, it was swarming with eager customers.
‘It was an absolutely wonderful opening. Trade was exceptional all day,’ said Buckingham’s manager Darren,  ‘Customers said they were really happy that we were here and that we were long overdue.’
The 10,000sq ft shop carries a similar offer to St Neots which was our first branch to re-open in the Market Town format, with a heavy emphasis on local fresh and ambient produce including local beers, milk, bacon, sausages, chutneys and cooking sauces.
The new branch which will have 133 Partners when fully staffed, has retained all the former Budgens employees and so far recruited 100 brand new non-management Partners. Under a new management structure that is being trialled in Buckingham and Brackley, there are three section managers – in Replenishment, Customer Service and Operations. Under them are two assistant section managers in Customer Service, two in Replenishment and one in Operations.

The branch was turned around in a matter of days thanks to swift work by Merchandising at Bracknell under Mark and the new Brackley team.

The Chronicle
14/06/08
Vol 68 No 24