A 10-year-old Asda super fan has been given a special VIP visit to the North Hykeham supermarket.
Ethan Codd regularly tells staff at the store he’s Asda’s number one fan, so the supermarket’s community champion Paula Robinson arranged a special behind-the-scenes visit, and even gave him his own uniform, name badge and lanyard.
Ethan, who’s autistic, has been shopping at the store with his mum Sarah and older brother Ryan, 14, since he was little and they call in every morning before school.
Busy at work in the Asda office. | Photo: Asda
Paula said: “We visited all his favourite aisles with his little Asda trolley. He looked in the warehouse with food hall section leader Rory Wallace and sat on the forklift truck, he tidied the shelves and stocked them up with our store manager Mike Long and then sat at his desk and looked over the balcony onto the shop and waved to everyone.
“Ethan really was a superstar and everyone was charmed by him. He’s such a lovely young man. Well done Ethan, it was a pleasure to spend some time with you.”
Ethan also scanned items, checked stock levels, watched security guards use the cameras and did a Click & Collect parcel for a customer.
Ethan had a ball with staff at his favourite shop. | Photo: Asda
And Mum Sarah said Ethan loved his visit so much, he slept in his ‘uniform’ after his visit.
She said: “He loves seeing all the toys in the store, but he really likes using the scan and go. He goes round and gets everything we want and puts everything in his little Asda trolley which he takes out with him. He also takes it to school every day too.
“When he was invited in he had a ball. With his autism, Ethan’s very outgoing and he talked to all the colleagues and asked them questions.
“Because he’s quite into technology he liked going on the tills and Click & Collect with Pam. He also liked looking at the security cameras.”
So much fun! | Photo: Asda
Sarah added: “He’s quite a tactile and affectionate boy and everybody we spoke to made a really big fuss of him. He was very affectionate back and was giving them cuddles. They were all brilliant with him.
“He even saw one of his teaching assistants who was shopping in the store at the time so by the time he’d got into school the news had gone round.
“He was a very happy boy when he left. He loves his Asda shirt, his name badge and his lanyard. He slept in his shirt the night we got back from his big day out.”
