Staff at the store in Highbury Corner dance to I Say A Little Prayer

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A WAITROSE team has gone viral on TikTok after they showed off some killer choreography set to a classic Aretha Franklin song.

The film features three employees dancing to I Say A Little Prayer at the store in Highbury Corner. It has now racked up almost a million views.

Harry Kille, duty manager who is featured in the video, said the fans were flocking in from far and wide just to get a glimpse of the social media stars.

He said: “It’s a little bit difficult, you know, being a celebrity in the shop now.”

It’s not just the young TikTok crowd enjoying the videos, Mr Kille said.

“It’s all different ages as well, I’ve had lovely elderly customers who are on TikTok who’ve said, ‘Harry we’ve seen your TikToks, it’s doing amazing.’”

Mr Kille, who has worked at the store for three years, added: “The community around Islington is quite a tight community, everybody knows you. I’ve got some customers wanting to give us ideas as well, which is really nice.”

Commenters on the video have even been requesting directions to the store from outside of London.

The song was a top 10 hit for queen of soul Franklin in 1968, and was ranked 117 on the Rolling Stone top 500 songs of all time.

Mr Kille said he jumped at the chance after Waitrose moved to broaden its reach through expanding their social media presence.

He told the Tribune: “I think the way to really connect to people these days is definitely through social media platforms. We want to promote ourselves and the passionate service we provide. It’s one thing that takes us away from other brands, that we’re a partnership and more of a family.”

Mr Kille’s colleague Tiffanie James said the TikToks “were a great idea to show we have creative personality”, adding: “Especially in our shop, we try to be a bit more modern and relatable.”

Harry Kille

Employees say that the videos are not only fun but have brought them closer together. Younger partners have become the “creative masterminds” behind the camera and the managers are all too eager to participate, Mr Kille said.

“I’ve gotta try and stop them, I’m like, ‘Barry, we want to get involved too,’” he joked.

Mr Kille says he has now been given the role of “social media champion”, and said that the TikToks have given his colleagues a “confidence boost”.

He added: “Seeing them want to be involved when usually they might have been quite timid has been a really positive experience. The leadership aspect of what I’m doing is what I’m passionate about.”

Mr Kille said he has been passionate about Waitrose for a long time, shopping there with his family when he was growing up, and eventually becoming an employee three years ago.

He said: “I love the atmosphere, I love the brand itself, the products we sell. I’ve always been partial to a Waitrose shop, prior to working there. It’s one team, one dream.”