Tesco Manager Promises To Work With Community

The manager of the new Tesco in Greenfield has said she wants to work together with local businesses and charities, as she prepares to take charge of Saddleworth’s first major supermarket. Anna Wisniowski also used an interview with Saddleworth News to confirm that the store is due to open on Monday 6 December, and that about 100 jobs will be available for people from our area.

There’s been concern from some local people and politicians about the potential impact Tesco might have on our village centres, especially in Greenfield and Uppermill. Anna said she’d already talked to many business owners, adding: “Some people are quite apprehensive and I understand why, so what we’re looking to do is try to work around any issues that people might have.”

She went on to say she’d let local businesses put adverts inside the Tesco store, “just to try to encourage people to use the other local businesses that are in the area.” Anna also said she was keen to explore ways in which Tesco could help Saddleworth good causes.

On the question of whether Tesco would stock goods from Saddleworth suppliers, Anna said: “It’s something that as a business we are passionate about developing, and it’s a key thing for most communities is supporting local suppliers… It’s something that I’ll definitely be looking at as we develop as a business in the area.” She added that she wanted to make sure the store “feels like a Saddleworth business, rather than just the Tesco’s that’s above the door.”

As for recruitment, Anna said it was her intention to try to give as many jobs as possible to people from Saddleworth. Tesco has set up a recruitment office at the business park off Huddersfield Road in Delph, and anyone interested can either pop in for an application form, or call 07593 286238 for more information. She also said there’ll be a recruitment day this Saturday at St Mary’s School in Greenfield between 10am and 8pm, and Tesco staff will be on hand to answer any questions or help to fill out the form.

Anna said the sort of jobs available are “very much across the spectrum” of the supermarket, saying there are “lots of shop floor positions, some on the counters, some on checkouts, some on the customer service desk, and we’ve got a real breadth between small part-time jobs and weekend vacancies… and also full-time vacancies.” She mentioned that the part-time roles in particular might be attractive to mums looking to get back into work.

The Greenfield supermarket’s not on the scale of the Tesco Extra in Oldham, and Anna said it would be focusing mainly on groceries rather than non-food products. She said there’d be specific counters for the deli, meat and fish, takeaways and hot chickens. The store will also have a bakery, the usual grocery and seasonal items, as well as some health, beauty and household products. Anna added: “We’re very much going to be a small, friendly local shop that has a great food offer.”

However, there won’t be a petrol station at the shop, because Tesco couldn’t get permission for one. Also as part of the long wrangling over planning which has led up to the building of the store, Tesco has had to promise not to take deliveries outwith the shop’s opening hours, so as not to disturb local residents. Those opening hours will be between 7am and 11pm from Monday to Saturday, and between 10am and 4pm on Sundays.

I interviewed Anna at the Tesco recruitment office in Delph yesterday. To get a full sense of what she had to say, you can listen to the interview in full by downloading it from here.

(Editor’s note: As usual for interviews on this website, there’s a little background gurgling from my baby daughter. Also look out for a video version of the interview on the website in the coming days!)