The Tesco Express store in Fulwood has reopened after being closed for several months.
The shop on Fulwood Road, which also served as the area’s only petrol station, shut its doors early in the new year with what people in the area say was ‘very little prior warning’.
The store reportedly closed due to refurbishments behind the shop floor in the on-site warehouse including the installation of new floors. There appear to be no visual changes to the shop as part of the works.
People living in Fulwood were left ‘confused’ after seeing an influx of construction machinery arrive at the cordoned-off Tesco and were left with few alternatives for fuelling up their cars.
John Booth of Crimicar Lane said: “Whilst it may not sound like a big deal to some, I for one am ecstatic to see Tesco open again. I was caught very off guard when it closed and I’m just glad I no longer need to travel further than necessary for affordable shopping and petrol.”
However, a colleague at the store, who wished to remain nameless, said that business has “not exactly been booming,” since its reopening.
“If anything, it has been less busy,” she said.
Nevertheless, according to a worker at a nearby store, the shop’s reopening on Monday has affected other businesses’ sales.
Erin Styles, a Team Leader at the Co-op, said that this Tuesday’s sales were down by about 25% from the figures a week prior. Miss Styles also referenced that Tesco’s closure saw a huge boost of customers in her store.
The reopening of the store has been pushed back several times with a date in February being initially set as well as the 7th and 15th March.
“They did take the mickey a little with postponing all the reopening dates but it sounded like a big job so I think we can let them off,” said Mr Booth.
Another Fulwood local Oliver Grayson, 22, described the reopening as a “relief,” and felt as though the store would “never return,” given all of the postponements to its reopening.
No further scheduled work on the store has been announced and it will remain open for the foreseeable future.