Home Bargains will be opening at Darlington Retail park tomorrow morning and The Northern Echo headed down to have a first look at the new store.
The budget-friendly chain will open its doors at 8am to the public so they can browse and buy their basic essentials and have a look at what’s new.
There is already a Home Bargains at Darlington Retail Park but that is set to close tonight (Friday, September 16) at 8pm and the new store, just a couple of doors down, will open at 8am on Saturday morning (17).
The new store, which is twice the size of the current shop, is a spacious unit with more room for stock and, of course, more room for shoppers to browse.
Read more: Empty shelves as Darlington bargain store will close for final time today
We were blown away at the seasonal section with spooky Halloween costumes and decorations in one aisle, and a winter wonderland in the next aisle full of Christmas decorations and gifts.
The food section is much bigger than it is in the current store, now with a bakery section and much more space for frozen food too.
Regional manager, Tracy Buckingham, said: “There were 30 members of staff in the other shop and for this one we have 65 so it’s great that it’s created more jobs.”
Read more: When Darlington's huge new Home Bargains with 'exciting' new features will open
Area manager, David Pugh, said: “It’s been quite challenging. The team has been in since last Saturday (September 10) and we had six wagons and an empty shop. The process has been quite quick and we’re just sorting the final touches today so it’s been pretty full on.
“Because the unit is almost twice as big (as the current shop) we’re expecting it to be extremely busy. Our chilled and frozen range is twice the size if not bigger and it’s far superior to what we had over the road.”
Store manager, Danika Welsh, said: “It was a bit overwhelming at first when we walked in last week and there was nothing on the shelves. It’s been all hands on deck and the team has done fab. We outgrew our space at the other shop. We’ve got a bigger range now so it’s great to be able to offer our customer that. The staff were excited when they were told about the move and when they saw the new shop there was a real buzz and excitement so I know the customers will feel the same.”
The opening times are 8am-8pm Monday to Saturday and 10:30 to 4:30 on Sundays.
This Monday (September 19) the shop will remain closed due to the state funeral.
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