Since opening in the 1980s, the Tesco Superstore in Chatham town centre has provided many of the local people's day-to-day food and other essentials. However, Tesco bosses announced the store's closure for April 4 in mid-January. Although this has been terrible news for many, some 'welcomed' the news and appreciated its closure. The Superstore in Chatham town centre is situated along The Brook, adjacent to the Market Hall car park and the Homeplus Furniture outlet store. The store has faced years of criticism, mainly due to its 'dark and dingy' appearance and the fact that it has been 'left to rot'. There were plans to redevelop the site but these seem to have been long forgotten, despite Tesco saying the plans were back on track in 2012 when £35,000 was spent making the shop and multi-storey car park more secure at night. Over the past several years, the store has also shrunk its marketing floorspace with many sections closed off which were later used for extra stock storage space. After serving the local area for over 30 years, the Chatham superstore will cease trading at 5pm this weekend. The store was expecting the closure due to 'failing profits', and councillors have expressed their doubts for another supermarket chain to take over the site.
Store manager Gerry Byrne said: “My colleagues and I are proud to have known and served so many great people from Chatham and the surrounding area. We're sad to be leaving, and we wish the local community all the best for the future.” What would you like to see replace the existing building? Do you think this decision was a step into the right direction, or was it another step towards decline for Chatham town centre? Share your thoughts in the comments section or e-mail us to: [email protected]. Comments are closed.
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August 2023
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