Secret Shopper is one of those great addictive shows, because no matter how many times you’ve watched Mary Portas turn a shop around you always think her latest challenge is just too difficult.

And that’s exactly the opinion viewers took of Godfrey’s, a family-run department store in Lowestoft.

When Mary arrived in Suffolk she found the management (basically the younger generation of the family) in a little bit of denial about their retail kingdom.

Her secret shoppers soon blew this fallacy wide open. It all started off a bit creepy, as the whole place looked like a bit of a ghost shop.

Then they finally tracked down Julie the sales assistant, who just wanted to get away from the cut-and-thrust of the shop floor.

The store’s buyer had absolute carte blanche over what stock he could bring in. And Dave knew what he liked…

Mary took a gander at some of the stock, and was not best impressed.

She was less impressed by Dave’s stock-buying ethos. But at least this explained some of the objects in the store.

Not everyone was put off – especially those up for some nostalgia.

Next Mary confronted the management with her secret-shopper footage. Based on these guys, it’s safe to say many viewers reckoned family-run businesses should have been left to die in the 20th century.

Meanwhile there was this insightful suggestion. Our sources remain unclear on the matter…

Time to bring it all together, as the management were forced to explain their dire financial straits to the grim-faced (and fairly inert) staff.

Inert, that is, with the exception of one veteran member of the team. Apparently in the old days they used to get actual staff training. They used to get “sent away” on “courses”. This looked like news to the young managers.

Despite all the tension and drama, it’s safe to say many viewers don’t really watch Secret Shopper for the retail advice. More for Mary’s fine sartorial example.

Meanwhile, for the good people of Lowestoft it was much more of a local affair.

Time for the transformation. Some of it was painfully simplistic – like stopping making customers walk past a derelict-looking shop front and enter via a “back passage”.

But crabby old boss man – and Godfrey’s founder – Jim was not sure about many of the ideas. He reacted very strongly against the “poncey” designs and ideas that were being suggested. It almost seemed like Jim had never been into another department store since… well Mary reckoned the 18th century.

But maybe he wasn’t the only one on the show that hasn’t quite got to grips with the modern world.

It all looked very promising. But had the managers really learned the error of their ways? One episode suggested not – and they got a right dressing down from Mary (who, as we’ve covered, is herself always very well dressed).

Nevertheless, the poncey transformation had its desired effect.

In the return secret shopper visit, Julie the fearful-eyed sales assistant was smiling and loved showing people round her shop floor. Staff were helpful – even looking up the flowering season of lavender.

And, most importantly, Dave the buyer had stopped filling the place with props from one of those naff “magical wonderlands” you always find yourself in during a rainy British holiday.

We’ve got to say though, the preview of next week’s episode looked even tougher. We’re not sure Mary’s going to turn that one around…