Countrywide wins retail award
The UK's leading farming, equestrian and rural supplies business, Countrywide has won a prestigious retail award for excellence in-store.
Countrywide's Country Store at Melksham in Wiltshire was named as the nationwide winner against 30 other stores by a national trade magazine for its high standards in offering an all round superb shopping experience and environment.
According to the rural trade magazine Over the Counter, the Countrywide Farmers' Country Store in Melksham stood out amongst its competitors from around the nation for its cleanliness and tidiness, its willing, welcoming, polite and knowledgeable staff, clearly priced products and good parking. The store was visited by the magazine's Mystery Shopper who was judging all aspects of the retailers he visited from arrival to departure.
Alistair Hugonnet is Countrywide Farmers' General Manager for retail, with responsibility for the company's 40 retail sites. He is delighted with the award: "My congratulations go to Store Manager Dave Tucker and the 21 staff at our Melksham store. As an organization, we strive for the best possible customer service and pride ourselves on offering this at all times, so to be recognised for precisely this, is wonderful news," Alistair added.
Alan Whibley, Publisher for Over the Counter magazine agrees: "We all know that it is vital to look after your customers and that means treating them in the right way and making it easy for them to find and purchase what they came to the store for. That includes giving the right advice in a friendly and helpful way ensuring that the visit was a pleasant hassle-free experience.
"Over The Counter magazine works with the industry to help inform and train Country Store staff. We look for the stores and people who are doing all the right things and promote them as an example of best practice. We are delighted that the Countrywide Melksham store hit all the right buttons!" Alan added.
For more information on Countrywide and its Country Stores nationwide as well as the company's agricultural, energy and retail businesses, please visit www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk
