Employees at supermarket chain Asda are to receive a ‘Festive Thank You‘ package from the retailer in recognition of their efforts over 2011, it was announced today.
The package, which totals £17 million, will include a £20 Asda gift voucher, free festive meal and £5 towards a Christmas party.
On top of this, colleagues will be awarded a 20 per cent discount in stores, double that of the usual ten per cent saving, on two specific “double discount” days.
Clothing, toys, fragrances and Christmas items will all be available as part of the spree.
Earlier this month, the retailer announced strong results for its third quarter, despite a 1.3 per cent drop in total footfall, as sales excluding fuel and VAT grew 1.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis in the three months ending September 30th 2011.
Average spend in store rose 2.6 per cent year-on-year.
Reward-related investment has also had a strong year at the grocer, with the ‘Festive Thank You‘ topping off a 12 months that has seen employees benefit from over £90 million in bonuses and perks.
Colleagues shared rewards totalling £49 million when a three-year Walmart Sharesave scheme matured in June, while a further £26.9 million was dished out in February, following unexpected positive sales.
Hayley Tatum, People Director at Asda, added that the chain will also reward employees through a ‘12 Days of Christmas‘ programme, where an exceptional customer service worker will be awarded an additional £10 gift voucher each day for a fortnight in the run-up to Christmas, while a ‘Team of the Week‘ will be given tea and mince pies in recognition for their efforts.
“At a time when we are all having to tighten our belts to cope with the increasing cost of living, we‘re proud to help by giving a proper thank you to our colleagues for their efforts,” she said.
“Our in-store and depot colleagues are without doubt the heroes of our business – working exceptionally hard, week-in week-out, to deliver the very best for our 18 million customers.”
