LOVED AND TRUSTED
BY MANY

There’s more to Halfords than most people imagine. Halfords are the leading retailer for leisure and car products. With over 460 stores nationwide. And they’ve got an online store that lets us reach even more people. Now that’s really helpful. And helpfulness is the thing that runs right through the business. In fact, it’s central to everything they do. Browse the sections below to see exactly what we mean.

Visions and values

Life moves pretty fast these days. So to make sure our customers and colleagues get to where they want to be, they do everything in their power to make that happen.

It’s not an empty phrase dreamed up in a boardroom. It’s an ethos that drives every single person in the Halfords team – whether you’re on the shop floor, under a bonnet or going above and beyond to help your customer.

How we live out our vision

• Supporting Drivers Of Every Car

Aim to be the No. 1 destination for products and services that enhance customers’ use of their car. Halfords offer Car Maintenance and Car Enhancement products with in-store fitting through to the dedicated auto centres.

• Inspiring Cyclists Of Every Age

In cycling they hold the UK’s No.1 position, selling around one million cycles a year. Halfords aim to build on this position by inspiring cyclists of every age and by enhancing their customers’ use of their cycles wherever they trade.

• Equipping Families For Their Leisure Time

Leisure and travel solutions ranges ensure customers travel safely and can holiday with flexibility. The range includes trailers, roof boxes, tents and camping products.

That’s what they do – but it’s how they do it that really matters. Their vision and strategy are underpinned by a set of values.

• Think customer
• Be helpful
• Earn trust
• Inspire others
• Aim to win
• Work as a team
• Have fun

Halfords always put themselves in the customer’s shoes and many of them have a passion for an area of the business they work in, whether they love cycling, cars or camping. And this enables Halfords to truly advise customers, to earn their trust. Every member of the team aims to be helpful. They want to inspire each other and work as a team. Because that’s how they’ll be able to win.

Pure Collection  has the worlds finest Cashmere collection. Its what they do best and always remains at the heart of everything they do.

They started their journey in 2002 and are now one of the largest direct and online retailers of cashmere in the world.

Following their success in the UK, Pure Collection introduced their premier British style and passion for their finest cashmere to the USA in 2006.

Over the years the retailer has continued to grow, back in 2007 Pure Collection launched a very successful womenswear range. Additionally  in 2011 they opened their first boutique set in the beautiful English town of Tunbridge Wells.

Pure Collection was the first brand to achieve 100% sustainable cashmere. This is simply because cashmere is what they love to do and do best. Today they sell over 700,000 pieces a year.

All our stores our beautiful in their own little way. Each store has a very individual feel to them providing customers with one to one service in a boutique environment. Pure Collection have 7 stores in York, Tunbridge Wells, Reigate, Guildford, Marlow, London – Northcote Road, and Chichester. In 2015 Pure Collection opened their first John Lewis Partnership concession in Brent Cross and by the end of 2016 they will have concessions within 30 JLP stores.

Quick Facts

• Established in 2002
• Based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire
• Multi-channel: Catalogue, web, retail
• 7 stores- York, Tunbridge Wells, Reigate, Guildford, Marlow, London – Northcote Road, and Chichester
• £40m turnover business
• 400,000 strong customer base

Hotter Shoes have been making shoes since 1959 in their Lancashire factory, and to this day their constant strive for perfection and obsession with the smallest detail makes every Hotter shoe extra special. Pillow-soft underfoot cushioning, lightweight and lovely, breathable leathers, flexible soles, fittings to suit you, super-soft leathers and flexi-groove soles; they combine quality with fashion trends to produce a range of products that have their customer’s returning time and time again. What cements the brand’s success is their commitment to providing excellent customer service and each member of their store teams is carefully chosen with these high standards in mind. Stewart Houlgrave, Founder of Hotter Shoes Concept was born in the year his parents opened a slipper making factory.  His desire to create and design shoes as comfortable as slippers began at an early age.

Stores

There are 76 stores open at present with more planned to open soon. Small to medium-high street stores with a boutique feel, they work hard and invest money in creating a feeling of quality and comfort that reflects the products they offer. They also have outlet stores which maintain the brand standards whilst offering a great selection of Hotter shoes at great prices. Whether high street or outlet, all stores are carefully located to be at the heart of the community.

Staff

With teams of approximately 7 to 10 people per store, every team is like a small family and bigger picture, stores work together, providing support and healthy competition to each other to contribute to the success of the brand as a whole.

Aldi is a leading global retailer and one of the world’s largest privately owned companies with over 9,000 stores worldwide and continuing expansion throughout Europe, North America and Australia.
Aldi opened their first store in the UK in 1990 and in Ireland in 1999. Since then they have grown rapidly, opening over 620 stores here alone. Working at Aldi is challenging but also great fun, which is why you’ll find Aldi people are focused and supportive.

There is a high value placed on teamwork and cooperation. As they are continuously expanding, there is a large investment in recruitment and training and a constant growth of stores, distribution centres and Regional Head Offices. It’s a dynamic, fast-paced environment with lots of change going on. It’s also a high-quality environment where your authority to make decisions provides a level of responsibility that is well beyond that offered by other employers.

Our people are the focus of our company

Aldi is committed to supporting their people in the following ways:

• Providing a high quality, structured training programmes and development opportunities
• Rewarding excellent performance with positive recognition and attractive remuneration
• Creating a culture of openness, transparency and diversity
• Offering job security

The Culture

At Aldi, their lack of bureaucracy means they can focus on delivering quality and value to their customers. Aldi keeps their operation simple and all their staff have an ability and willingness to work hard for the Company and their customers. They take ownership and commitment very seriously and this makes their working lives both exciting and very satisfying. They are given high levels of responsibility and are supported by great training and a good salary. This helps create a culture that gives people a very real sense of satisfaction, self-confidence and pride in what they do.

Homebase is a leading home enhancement retailer selling over 50,000 products for the home and garden. It has more than 260 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland serving around 64 million customers a year.  At Homebase, our customers don’t just visit us for a tine of paint or a packet of screws.  They are looking for ideas and inspiration from a wide range of products at low prices.  This is why a career at Homebase is so rewarding.

And now Homebase is part of Bunnings – Australia’s leading retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products which means that will eventually be rebranded as Bunnings under the ownership of Westfarmers.

Bunnings ambition is to provide their customers with the widest possible range of home improvements products in accordance with a low pricing policy, backed with a ‘best in class’ service.  The Bunnings/Homebase brand faces extremely exciting change ahead with the complete overhaul of the brand during the coming three years including a whole host of new ranges and a full upskilling programme for staff in order to equip them with unrivalled product knowledge.

THE FIRST BUNNINGS UK STORE

Following the acquisition of the Homebase chain in 2016 by Bunnings owners Westfarmers in a deal worth £340m, the first Bunnings Warehouse was opened on 2^nd February 2017.  The former Homebase store, located on Griffiths Way in St Albans will be the pilot store for Bunnings who will be investing invest up to £500 million over the coming years as they gradually roll out the Bunnings Warehouse format across the UK.

The first store in St Albans employees a total of 68 people altogether, many of them experienced trades people such as Painters, Plumbers, Electricians and Landscape Gardeners who can all offer consumers expert advice and guidance as they shop instore.

Within the new pilot branch, Bunnings will not only stock over 30,000 home and garden lines, but will also offer paint mixing, a tool shop, a DIY workshop as well as a café and an indoor kid’s playground.  The retailer will also look to introduce their ‘Sausage Sizzle’ fundraising concept to the UK, something that the brand is renowned for in its home country of Australia.

Homebase Bunnings managing director Peter Davis described the first Bunnings Warehouse store as a “key milestone” and went on to comment:

“It is great to be able to give people a taste of what Bunnings is all about. Our policy is to offer customers the lowest prices, the widest range and the best service, and hopefully our first pilot store demonstrates that”.

The next store opening for Bunnings Warehouse is only round the corner with another store in Hatfield Road, St Albans opening in April 2017 and a further 2 pilot stores in operation by Summer 2017.

OUR PEOPLE

With over 38,000 Team Members, Bunnings Team Members are very much considered the heart and soul of the business. The majority of Bunnings Team Members have a background in a trade, be it as a Builder, Electrician or Plumber which Bunnings hope will enhance their ability to provide exceptional advice and service to their customers.  In addition to offering expert advice, Bunnings will are also introducing free D.I.Y workshops for adults and children, free trailer hire, same day home delivery, hire shops, cafés and children’s playgrounds.

In addition, Bunnings Teams are guided by key principles including integrity, teamwork, respect, achievement and innovation which are all fundamental to the Bunnings culture and vision. As a growing business, Bunnings are looking to retain the best people and they encourage team members to develop their talents and skills.

ohn Lewis, regularly voted the UK’s favourite retailer, began trading in 1864 with the opening of their first shop in London’s Oxford Street. Since then, and through the efforts of 30,000 Partners (staff), John Lewis has succeeded in becoming the largest multi-channel retailer in the UK, with 40 John Lewis shops (30 department stores and ten John Lewis at home) and a growing online business.

John Lewis is part of the John Lewis Partnership and is a different sort of company. Each member of staff is a Partner, with a shared responsibility for the company and a drive to put its success first. They are the largest example of worker co-ownership in the UK and each year they share their profits with each of their Partners in the form of an annual bonus.
’Never Knowingly Undersold’ has been a key part of the John Lewis brand since 1925 and is their unique and lifelong commitment to giving their customers the best value through great products at great prices, supported by great service.

There are 30 John Lewis full-line department stores, each typically stocking more than 350,000 separate lines.

AWARDS

John Lewis’s success as a retailer has been highlighted by a series of recent award wins: Which? awards 2013: John Lewis was named Best Retailer, receiving the highest customer scores in 5 out of the 8 categories for customer satisfaction. They also received the second highest customer score in the online category. John Lewis are a which? Recommended provider in 7 of its 8 retail categories.
• Moneywise Customer Service awards 2013: partnership card was named the Most Trusted Credit Card for Rewards, and Highly Commended in the Most Trusted Credit Card Provider category
• Etail awards 2013: Our mobile website m.johnlewis.com was recognised as the PayPal Best Mobile Optimised Site.
• Verdict Customer Satisfaction awards 2013: From a survey of almost 6000 consumers, John Lewis was awarded Retailer of the Year, and also won the Homewares, Clothing and Electrical categories. Waitrose was named top food and grocery retailer.
• Retail Week Awards 2013: Best Retailer and Best Multichannel Retailer
• Drapers Record/Retail Week Etail Awards 2012: Multichannel Retailer of the Year
• InStyle Online Beauty Awards: Best Online Department Store

Carpetright is a successful international retailer, specialising in leading floor coverings and quality beds. They pride themselves on their commitment and passion to their customers and people; it is central to everything they do.

The Carpetright story began in 1988 with the first store opening in Canning Town, London. Since then they have continued to grow, both organically and through acquisition, into an international retailer. Currently now operating in four European countries; the UK, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Belgium.

The Group listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1993. With over 500 stores across the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, and their head office, warehouse and distribution centre located in Purfleet, Essex. It’s an exciting time to join this company!

The Retailers variety of carpets, vinyl flooring, laminate flooring, luxury vinyl tiles and engineered wood are constantly expanding in line with their customers’ needs. They are also becoming increasingly popular as a retailer of beds, mattresses and headboards with a choice of designs available to suit all budgets and styles.

Carpetright – Business Model

“As a retailer, we generate profit from the combination of driving top line sales volumes; optimising low cost sourcing; maintaining an efficient supply chain; and providing our customers with excellent service.”

Core Values

• CHOICE – We want to offer the best range of flooring under one roof
• VALUE – We’ll always provide value for money and easy ways to pay
• MAKE IT EASY – We’ll make it easy and hassle-free
• EXPERTISE – We have experts who will create a great experience every step of the way

Sainsbury’s was founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann Sainsbury in London and has since gone on to become one of the UK’s biggest retailers.

Today Sainsbury’s operates over 1,374 supermarkets and convenience stores and employs around 161,000 colleagues. Sainsbury’s put their customers at the heart of everything they do and have invested in their stores, colleagues and product channels to deliver the very best possible shopping experience to their customers.

Sainsbury’s strong culture and values are part of their identity and success and their values provide the framework for how they do business guiding Sainsbury’s in everything they do; from key business decisions to day-to-day activities.

Sainsbury’s promise to help customers ‘Live Well for Less’ is about more than just price. Their values are integral to their relationships with suppliers, colleagues and other stakeholders. The retailer aims to ensure they differentiate from their competitors, giving a real commercial advantage.

Our Stores

Sainsburys operate a variety of store formats that are designed to meet with specific customer requirements and locations.  There are two main store formats; regular Sainsbury’s supermarkets and Sainsbury’s Local convenience stores.

Stores in the ‘supermarket’ category all have similar layouts and operations but may vary in their offering to the customer, for example, most will have a convenience kiosk, ambient produce, meat, fish, groceries, frozen foods and manned and self-service checkouts. However, depending on the size of the store they may also have an in-store bakery, clothing ranges, a butcher, a fishmonger, a delicatessen, a pizza counter, a cafe, a mobile phone shop, a petrol station and an online picking department.

In total, Sainsbury’s Local own 700 convenience stores and employ over 14,000 colleagues. The stores have a different branding and fascia to the companies’ supermarkets and each Local store is typically around 4,500 sq. ft.  Sainsbury’s Local aims to provide local people with fresh, quality food at affordable prices within walking distance of their home. Currently, Sainsbury’s are actively pursuing new sites to expand their convenience store portfolio across the UK.

Our Colleagues

Across all of its businesses Sainsbury’s employs roughly 161,000 people who are referred to as ‘colleagues’.  In 2013, Sainsbury’s won the Employer of the Year at the Oracle Retail Week Awards which is understandable given the reward, recognition and development schemes that are employed by the company to benefit their staff.

Colleagues benefit from a percentage discount on most products, discounts on Sainsbury’s Banking products and access to various discounts at hundreds of other retailers. And whilst the majority of colleagues do not belong to a Union the company maintains good relationships with Unions representing colleagues.  Additionally, Sainsbury’s runs a wide variety of payroll ‘extras’ for colleagues, the main being a percentage bonus on a store by store basis for successful mystery shopper and product availability scores throughout the year. Other optional extras include contributory pension schemes, investment in shares, loans for public transport tickets and grants for bicycle purchase.

In regards to development within the Sainsbury’s brand, 2010 saw the business open seven food Colleges that educate employees in the disciplines of fishmongery, butchery, bread making and confectioning.  So far, 21,000 colleagues have been trained at these venues and additionally, further qualifications can be gained through in house training with over 15,400 colleagues being awarded City and Guild qualifications in the last 7 years.

From humble beginnings to national (and possible international) expansion, Go Outdoors is the go-to place for all your outdoors leisure and lifestyle needs. At its heart it’s all about providing great products and an excellent customer experience and they’re kept those core values as they’ve grown.

STORES

High volume and high turnovers, Go Outdoors stores are Big boxes with lots of personality. They’re destination sites and customers travel from far and wide to make a day of it in store. Climbing walls and camp-sites, footwear testing areas and full scale model horses – the departments are visually appealing and allow you to get to grips with what’s on offer.  They stock a great range of specialist equipment as well as all the basics and have specialist advisors on hand.

STAFF

Store teams average about 30 – 45 people from Customer Advisors on various full and part-time contracts to Department managers and Store Managers and they all benefit from a generous staff discount scheme and plenty of opportunities for training and development; Go Outdoors is a dynamic and expanding business and they invest in getting the best out of their people at every step in their career.

Since 1884, M&S has grown from a single market stall to become an international multi-channel retailer. We now operate in over 59 territories worldwide and employ almost 83,000 people. Remaining true to our founding values of Quality, Value, Service, Innovation, and Trust, we work hard to ensure our offer continues to be relevant to our customers. Through diversifying our store locations, channels, and product range we are reducing our dependence on the UK and broadening our international focus.

Our UK turnover is split between Food (57%)and  General Merchandise (43%). With 914 stores across the UK and a growing e-commerce business, we sell high-quality, great value food and remain the UK market leaders in womenswear, lingerie, and menswear.

From browsing through to purchase and delivery, we aim to provide the best shopping experience for our customers. Whether in stores, online, or by phone, we offer a convenient service for all our customers – however, and whenever they choose to shop with us.

We aim to become the world’s most sustainable retailer and Plan A, our eco and ethical programme, is at the very heart of how we do business. More than five years since launch, we continue to extend the influence of Plan A – engaging our employees, suppliers, and customers.

Iceland is a unique, fast-growing British food retailing business with over 900 stores throughout the UK. Iceland sprang to life when Malcolm Walker and another young retailer decided to open a shop in order to make their fortunes.  They opened the first Iceland store in Shropshire in November 1970.  The business really took off when the two founders were fired from their day jobs and could devote more time to developing the Iceland concept.   By 1975 there were 15 Iceland stores in North Wales and the North West of England and the business has grown and grown ever since.

Iceland has always been a responsible retailer, committed to providing safe, healthy and ethically sourced food. In the 1980s and 1990s, we led the whole of the British food retailing industry in eliminating artificial colours and flavours from our products. We also respect the environment and seek to put something back into the communities where we operate by regenerating high streets, creating jobs, providing outstanding customer service and giving generous support to a range of Good Causes helping the sick and socially disadvantaged.

BP brings together the luxury of M&S Simply Food, the convenience of BP Connect and the delicious treats of Wild Bean Café. The notion of forecourt shopping has completely changed!  The business is going from strength to strength and it’s a perfect time to be part of something fantastic!

At BP sites you can purchase everything from a delicious croissant, a fresh cup of ground coffee, a fresh sandwich, a tin of Heinz Baked Beans, to a car wash. They are delivering more and more to truly create complete convenience retailing for all their customers.

The convenience, quality, and superb service they offer is really appreciated by the millions of customers who use their stores every day. It’s the 4,500 people who work throughout the retail division who make sure these customers have this enjoyable shopping experience and BP believe these people deserve a lot in return. They provide their team with an upbeat atmosphere to work in, superb training and a generous BP benefits package which include great holidays, incredible pensions and a bonus which is focused on an individual’s behaviour and performance, making it very achievable. They also give them the opportunity to progress in an international company that views the voice of every employee as important.

Following a successful rollout of their Marks & Spencer Simply Food concept stores, BP continues to move forward and is looking to expand this ever growing business even further. This will involve further developments of store formats, and a major focus on customer service to ensure every customer journey is a great one and repeat business builds further success for this iconic retailer.

A fresh and modern ‘one-stop-shop’, BP Retail stores have been developed with the busy consumer in mind. They offer real choice and quality to everyone. They have stores throughout the South, the Midlands, the North West, Yorkshire and Scotland and despite this very wide presence, they are still growing rapidly. Whether you’re leading a team or joining one, you’ll play an essential part in one of their innovative retail businesses. BP is proud of its expansion program, their commitment to convenience retailing in its truest form and also that their high standards have been recognised within the industry.

Electrolux, one of the global leaders in home appliances and appliances for professional use, is selling more than 40 million products to customers in 150 countries every year. Their focus is on innovations that are thoughtfully designed, based on extensive consumer insight, to meet the real needs of consumers and professionals.

Electrolux products include refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and cookers sold under esteemed brands such as Electrolux, AEG, Zanussi, Eureka and Frigidaire. In 2008, Electrolux had sales of SEK 105 billion and 54,000 employees.

Values

Respect and Diversity, Ethics and Integrity, and Safety and Sustainability form the foundation of the Electrolux corporate culture. Three core values clearly distinguish Electrolux: Passion for Innovation, Customer Obsession and Drive for Results.