One Stop celebrated a remarkable milestone last week, as one of the company’s longest serving employees marked 60 years with the business.
Sandra White, 79, began her career on 18 July in 1966 at Misselbrook & Weston, a cash and carry store founded in her hometown of Southampton in 1848. It later became M&W - then part of T&S Stores - before One Stop took over the business in 2005. Sandra now works at the One Stop distribution centre in Nursling.
Sandra was 19 when she started, when a loaf of bread cost just seven pence and a pint of milk cost four pence. She began her career producing punch cards for warehouse pickers, organising deliveries in a role that helped ensure customer orders were hand-picked accurately.
Despite the many changes she’s witnessed over the years, Sandra said it’s her love of routine and the people around her that’s kept her happy and settled for an astonishing six decades. “There are great people here and we all work well together, so I think that’s why I’ve never wanted to change companies.
“A lot’s become computerised over the years. I’m not really computer minded, but I’ve got myself through it. It takes me a long time to pick something up, but once it’s there, it’s there.”
Sandra works from 7am five days a week and says the routine gives her a sense of purpose. After 50 years of service, One Stop offered Sandra the option to start later in the day, but she was having none of it.
Sandra said she gets up at 4.30am every day and has a schedule that suits her life perfectly, as she explained: “Once you retire, you can go to seed. I like knowing I have to get up in the morning and come to work, rather than lull about.
”I’m not intending to finish anytime soon, as my job gives me a purpose and I’ll carry on for as long as I can.”
Over six decades, Sandra has worked in nearly every role the One Stop distribution centre has to offer, including admin clerk, payroll, order picker and stocktaking. Today, Sandra works within the stock team as a distribution centre support administrator, scanning Proof of Delivery (POD) documents and investigating discrepancies to help maintain accurate records and ensure operational compliance across stores.
One Stop MD, Stephanie Wood, added: “Huge congratulations to Sandy on such an amazing milestone within One Stop. Reaching 60 years of service shows incredible dedication and loyalty and is an exceptional accomplishment.”
To mark her 60-year milestone, colleagues at One Stop held a series of celebrations and gifts to help Sandra realise how amazing she is.
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