Systemic Problems with how the code-checking team is managed
Pros
Nice, loyal customers Decent discount Colleagues and supervisors seemed to be nice
Cons
I was a code checker here over the Autumn and Winter period in 2025 and I would have to say that out of all the retail positions I've worked (four), this was by far the worst managed of the lot. I found myself consistently skipping breaks, staying behind longer than needed and constantly stressed due to the sheer volume of work expected in a single shift - the two biggest sections (fresh and produce) usually have more stuff to remove than is possible in a single 6 hour shift. The printers and scanners which are needed to begin work as a code checker are sparse and faulty, meaning oftentimes your start time is delayed by anywhere between 10 minutes to half an hour. Might not seem like much but trust me made a significant difference to whether I left on time or got my break or not! Despite these glaring problems (which were raised by many people whilst I was there), there's no sympathy from store management who probably are under pressure from their seniors show examples of action when work is missed and they'll discipline you for not completing the work to the same standard as people who've worked there for decades. While I don't necessarily blame the food or the store manager entirely for these inadequacies, they both clearly have unrealistic expectations for new starters which I suspect is caused by severe underfunding of the store by the company. You'd think with it being next to Cheshire Oaks that it would be funded better! Supervisors and colleagues seemed to mostly be a very friendly bunch and I wouldn't say a bad word against any of them, but are all severely stressed and have a distain for the aforementioned problems in the store. Due to how much you need to get your head down, there often isn't time to have good camaraderie with colleagues like in other retail roles. As an outgoing, customer-orientated individual, I'd advise applicants to steer clear of code-checking if you're applying to work here unless you are desperate. Its a lonely, stressful job and has several systemic in-store issues.