90-year-old Marion can't wait to see her friends at Asda Caerphilly again

Thank you to 90-year-old Asda customer Marion Davies who let us know on Facebook how much she loves the friendly service from Julie Thomas and Jo Davies at our Caerphilly store – and how much she’s looking forward to visiting again after she’s finished shielding at home.

Marion, who’s been shopping at the store for as long as she can remember, says our colleagues like Julie and Jo are the "salt of the earth" for their kindness.

She said: "The girls at the tills are the best you could ever wish for. They are fabulous. I love you all and thank you so much for all your kindness.

"I love going to Asda – it’s the highlight of my week. I love having a chat with everyone – I see them all as my friends. They are all so lovely."

Marion, who has been shopping at the store for as long as she can remember, usually goes with her great-grandson Connor but, because of the pandemic, he's been getting her shopping on his own and dropping it off at her flat.

She said: "I have had one vaccination, but still can’t get out – though I hope it won’t be too long before I will see you all again. I really can't wait.

"They know their customers so well. They send you a card or a lovely message on Facebook. If you've forgotten something when you get to the till they will ask one of the girls on the floor to fetch it or if you want to change something. I've got arthritis now and they always help to put my bags in my trolley."

Fifty-nine-year-old Julie, who has worked at the store for 17 years, says everyone misses seeing Marion and is thinking of her and the other customers currently unable to visit in person.

She said: "Marion has a great respect for us and we have for her. We do miss our regular customers like Marion when we don't see them, especially during these times.

"Very often we find that we have our own sets of customers who like to come to us personally. They tell you things about their lives, about things that are going on.

"They are looking for a friendly face and sometimes a shoulder to cry on. They tell it all to us, then they go home and they are ready to face the world again.

"We have a great team here and I wouldn't work anywhere else. We are a family basically and we all look after one another."

Sharon Moon, the store's customer trading manager, says Asda Caerphilly is very much a "proper Valleys store".

She said: "The team are lovely here. The colleagues have been here a long time, especially Julie and Jo, and they are very friendly and give great service.

"It's lovely to get comments like these from Marion. The store is a very welcoming place to shop and everyone is friendly."