Movers and Shakers Reading Answers

Jan 9, 2025

Movers and Shakers Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Movers and Shakers Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions set you have to answer each question in not more than two words. In the next section you have to tell whether the statement is true, false or not given.

The IELTS Reading section is a crucial component of the IELTS exam, designed to assess a candidate's ability to comprehend and analyze different types of passages. In this passage, you will engage with a series of IELTS reading practice questions that simulate real test scenarios. These questions are aimed at improving your skills in identifying key ideas, extracting specific information, and making inferences. Whether you are preparing for the Academic or General Training module, practicing these IELTS reading questions will help you become familiar with the format and boost your confidence for the actual test.

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Section 1

MOVERS AND SHAKERS READING ANSWERS

Discover the stories behind two enthusiastic entrepreneurs who are creating major waves in the UK business world. Retailers often declare that customers are their most important asset. But. while some sound as if they are paying lip Aservice to the idea, Sally Bailey, chief executive of White Stuff, is a true believer. Even the clothing retailer's website reflects her view, declaring:

'Lovely clothes for lovely people'. Ms Bailey says: 'The most important people are those who buy our product. This includes the buyers who select it, and the customers who buy it in our shops. Everything we do is about service to get the product into the customer's hands.' So, when research revealed that customers disliked Changing rooms that opened directly onto the shop floor, White Stuff amended its floor plans, introducing a false wall that screened off the changing area. 'It's not rocket science,' explains Ms Bailey. 'You just need to listen to what the customer is saying. We are dedicated to pleasing them. We ask: "What is the best thing we could do?" Hence, the introduction of one oversized fitting room in each of White Stuff's 54 stores to enable mothers to bring their buggies in while they change.

'When a customer walks into a White Stuff shop, we want them to feel like they are at home,' says Ms. Bailey. 'There are chairs to sit down on, water coolers, and staff will come along with colouring books to entertain children while the customer browses.' Even the background music is carefully considered. On Saturdays it has a faster tempo. On Sundays, when customers may prefer a quieter atmosphere, the tone is softer. The music is changed by the hour. according to the day.' says Ms Bailey.

White Stuff has eschewed the shop design of a traditional fashion retailer, preferring to model its interiors on a Victorian house where Ms Bailey believes her customers aspire to live. Since her arrival. White Stuff has sought locations away from the beaten track and shopping centres are viewed as anathema. 'To be honest, we do have some stores that are very hard to find,' says Ms Bailey. 'In Exeter, for example, there's the High Street and the shopping centre. but you have to turn left down an alley to find White Stuff, right by an organic butcher and coffee shop. Yet White Stuff's customers, whom MS Bailey describes as 'extremely loyal', are not deterred by

these intrepid expeditions. When she took over five years ago. White Stuff had 15 stores and an annual turnover of £14m. Today, turnover is in excess of £55m. with stores generating annual revenues between £500,000and £2,5m from an average customer spend of £35. Matt Stockdale, managing director of HomePride, which this year will turn over more than £4m, has the mother of former Tesco buyer Fraser McDonald to thank for his success. Desperate to get the supermarket chain to stock his oven cleaning product, Oven Pride, Mr Stockdale bombarded the buyer with calls

But it was to no avail: 'The response was always -Thanks but no thanks", ' he recalls. So I said, "Let me send some to your mother, your aunt, your grandmother... ’’ and. I think to make me go away, he gave me his mother's address: Two weeks later. Mr Stockdale was in the buyer's office signing a deal to supply his product to 30 stores. 'He told me that his mother wanted him to give me a chance but that he didn't give me much hope,' says Mr Stockdale. A year later he was supplying 130 Tesco stores. 'I didn't realise when I first approached Tesco that it was the UKs biggest supermarket chain,' says Mr Stockdale. 'I just knew that I shopped there.' The idea for the oven cleaner came in 1999 when, after being made redundant from his job as a sales manager for a telecoms business, Mr Stockdale decided to fulfil a lifelong ambition to run his own company. 'l looked at a catalogue business first because direct sales was what I knew,' he says. 'But I came across chemical companies making products, one of which was an oven cleaner. I was always the one lumbered with cleaning our oven, so I was intrigued.' He tested one product. a bottle of white fluid, which produced such great results that he started to research the oven cleaner marketplace. found the hardest thing was to clean the racks,' says

Mr Stockdale.

He decided to create kits to make cleaning racks easy, sourcing packaging, disposable gloves and a bag into which the racks could be placed with the cleaning fluid. 'l created 5,000 units and sent one each to Kleeneze, Betterware and QVC, and got nowhere,' he recalls. Dejected, Mr Stockdale found another sales job but, 15 months later, a fax arrived with a purchase order from Kleeneze. 'I went to the garage and dusted down the stock,' he says. Kleeneze sold out within weeks, and placed more orders. Then QVC faxed across an order. 'l was suddenly on national television, but in eight weeks QVC had sold out.' he says. 'l didn't realise what I had.' It took a letter from a satisfied customer, asking when the cleaner would be available in shops. to prompt Mr Stockdale to change his strategy and approach high street retailers. Enter Tesco. In its first year. HomePride turned over £90,000 but soon reached £1.1m. 'Going into retail changed everything for me.' says Mr. Stockdale.

Questions 1—3

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.

Changing rooms (1 oversized, enough space for 1…………)

Answer: BUGGIES

Supporting statement:Hence, the introduction of one oversized fitting room in each of White Stuff's 54 stores to enable mothers to bring their buggies in while they change.

Keywords: fitting, change

Keyword Location: Para 1, Lines 12-13

Explanation: The text states that one of the fitting rooms of White Stuff's 54 stores is oversized to allow mothers to bring the buggies carrying their child with themselves while using the fitting room.

2…………for children

Answer: COLORING BOOKS

Supporting statement: 'There are chairs to sit down on, water coolers, and staff will come along with colouring books to entertain children while the customer browses.'

Keywords: colouring, customer

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 2-3

Explanation: The text mentions that once a customer enters the store they will be made to feel as if they are in their own home. A staff will come carrying coloring books for the children to entertain them and keep them busy so that their parents can shop freely without any hassle.

Background music 3………..on saturdays)

Answer: FASTER (TEMPO)

Supporting statement:Even the background music is carefully considered. On Saturdays it has a faster tempo.

Keywords: music, saturdays

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The text shows that to create a better ambience the music in the store will be different on saturday and sunday On saturday the the music will have a faster tempo as compared to sunday in which the music will be soft as the customer would like some peace.

Questions 4-8

DO the following statements agree with the information

given in the reading passage? Write

TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE - if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this

4. Sally Bailey intends to find locations for White Stuff in shopping centres.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement:White Stuff has sought locations away from the beaten track and shopping centres

Keywords: locations, shopping

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 3

Explanation: The text states that according to Ms. Bailey, her clients want to live. ever since she arrived. White Stuff has looked for places that are off the traveled path, and shopping centers are detested.

5. Sally Bailey started White Stuff.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement:Sally Bailey, chief executive of White Stuff, is a true believer.

Keywords: sally bailey, whitestuff

Keyword Location: Para 1, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The text mentions Sally Bailey as the chief executive of the White Stuff, not the founder of it.

6. The buyer at Tesco initially rejected Oven pride

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement:But it was to no avail: 'The response was always -Thanks but no thanks", ' he recalls. So I said

Keywords: response,recalls

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 1

Explanation: The Text above mentions that in a desperate attempt to sell its product Mr Stockdale bombarded the buyer with calls One being the Tecso but they too rejected the offer until convinced with a trial offer.

7. The buyer's mother often gives him advice on products

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The text mentions nothing about the buyer's mother advising the buyer in their decisions regarding buying anything.

8. Matt Stockdale discovered important information about Tesco after contacting the company.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement:'I didn't realise when I first approached Tesco that it was the UKs biggest supermarket chain,' says Mr Stockdale. 'I just knew that I shopped there.

Keywords: Tesco, supermarket

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the text Matt stockdale found about Tesco being the UKs biggest supermarket chain only after signing a deal with Tesco.

Questions 9—13

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

THE STORY OF HOMEPRIDE

Matt Stockdale made redundant from job in telecoms

Thought of starting a catalogue business (experience in9…………..)

Answer: DIRECT SALES

Supporting statement:'l looked at a catalogue business first because direct sales was what I knew,' he says.

Keywords: business sales

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 10

Explanation: The text indicates that Mr Stockdale decided to fulfil a lifelong ambition to run his own company. Firstly he decided to read the business catalogue because he only knew about direct sales. In the catalogue he found chemical companies making and selling oven cleaners which he found interesting.

Saw chemical products and became interested in oven cleaners

Tested a white fluid for cleaning ovens and researched

the market

Observed that the biggest problem was how to get 10……….clean

Answer: (THE) RACKS

Supporting statement:found the hardest thing was to clean the racks,' says Mr Stockdale.

Keywords: hardest, clean

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 14

Explanation: The text mentions that according to Mr Stockdale the hardest thing to clean is the racks of the ovens after he used a white fluid to clean the oven.

Made11…………to solve this problem

Answer: KITS

Supporting statement:He decided to create kits to make cleaning racks easy, sourcing packaging, disposable gloves

Keywords: kits, cleaning

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 1

Explanation: The text states that In order to make cleaning racks easier, Mr Stockdale made kits that included packaging, disposable gloves, and a bag that the racks could be put in with the cleaning solution.

Sent his product to various companies

First order came after 12…………

Answer: 15 MONTHS

Supporting statement:15 months later, a fax arrived with a purchase order from Kleeneze.

Keywords: months, order

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text Mr Stockdale created 5000 kits for the rack cleaning and sended them to Kleeneze, Betterware and QVC but only after being dejected for 15 months he received an order from Kleeneze for the cleaner.

Product appeared on TV and sold out

A question asked by a 13.............. gave him the idea

of approaching Shops

Answer: (SATISFIED) CUSTOMER

Supporting statement: It took a letter from a satisfied customer, asking when the cleaner would be available in shops.

Keywords: satisfied, cleaner

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 8

Explanation: The text indicates that Mr Stockdale had no idea of the impact he had made by creating the rack cleaner kit until a satisfied customer wrote a letter to him asking when will the kits be again available in the shops.

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