Sainsbury’s has opened its newly-extended store in Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
The store will “make a difference” to local employment, with 134 jobs created thanks to the development, said Sainsbury’s.
The 76,000 sq ft store has taken five months to transform and was officially opened by ‘colleagues’ who first joined the store when it opened in 1994. They were joined by local council executives Neil Atkin, Bob Wheeler and Frank McArdle to mark the opening of the new and improved store.
The supermarket boasts a deli counter, pizza counter, fresh fish and meat counters, and a bakery. The store also has a new improved café on the mezzanine floor, homeware and electrical department as well as a TU clothing section, pharmacy, and parking for almost 400 cars.
The store, situated on Civic Way, is at the heart of the community in more ways than one and has already begun to work with local charities.
Last year, colleagues donated food, volunteer time and more than £500 to its local charity partner ‘Old Post Community Centre’.
This year, customers have chosen ‘Air Cadets’ as the store’s new local charity partner. To begin fundraising, the charity will be bag-packing in-store this weekend. This will be the first of several fundraising activities planned by colleagues across a twelve month period.
The opening is a double celebration for manager Paul Wain, who was the deputy manager when the store originally opened in 1994. After going on to be store manager at large stores such as Chaddesden, Cheadle and Arnold, he returned to Swadlincote in February.
Source: Sainsbury’s
