Sainsburys manager boosted profits by stocking more champagne

Sales are up and so is customer satisfaction and he's moving on to another struggling Sainsbury's happy in the knowledge that the store is now doing "very well indeed thank you very much," he told the Advertiser this week.
He said: "It's all about knowing your market. Beaconsfield is the third wealthiest place in the country. Customers here are very demanding, they spend a lot of money and they expect fantastic service. They want to have complete confidence that they can buy everything they need in the store. Before, they could only get 70 per cent of their shopping here, and the queues were long, and they were voting with their feet."
Mr Sheen ordered in Champagne, massively increased the store's organic range, and got in serious cook's food such as whole salmon. The results were staggering. He set up a special offer on Lanson Champagne and sold 500 bottles in an afternoon. At Christmas he sold more salmon than almost any other store in the country, and another 2,500 bottles of Champagne in one week. He believes some of his new customers are switching from Waitrose.
"Waitrose is fantastic quality but there's a perception that it's expensive. The credit crunch has made people more savvy."
Mr Sheen, 45, has been commuting an incredible 75 miles each way to and from work from his home in Northampton.
It means he's hardly seen his wife and three daughters, 12, 13 and 15, since he moved to the Beaconsfield Store.
He leaves home at 5.15am "to have a walk round the store before it opens at 7am and make sure everything is right" and he doesn't get home until 7pm by which time he's exhausted.
"I've definitely neglected my wife and daughters, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with them, "he said. His journey will take half the time when he's moved to the Milton Keynes store.
One of his last important duties takes place this weekend when the store celebrates the company's 140th anniversary with a large cake, cut by Beaconsfield mayor Councillor Ken Brown. Staff are being given the ingredients to make a Victoria Sponge, and 20 per cent off their purchases over the bank holiday weekend.