Sainsbury’s has just opened its new supermarket in Colwick, a village in Nottingham's suburbs.
The flagship 53,000 sq. ft supermarket was opened by Mayor of Gedling, Meredith Lawrence, alongside St John the Baptist Primary School pupil, Jace Pikett, who won a competition to design a limited-edition Sainsbury’s bag for life to mark the launch of the new store.
Along with the new convenience store on Nottingham Clumber Street, which opened last month, Sainsbury’s Colwick is part of a multimillion-pound programme of investments the retailer is making in Nottinghamshire, which also includes the refurbishment of some of its existing Sainsbury’s stores nearby.
The technology within the new supermarket will enable it to operate as one of Sainsbury’s most sustainable stores ever and its arrival represents a substantial boost for the local economy. Over 150 of the store’s colleagues are new to Sainsbury’s and most of the new store team live locally in Colwick, Nottingham or the surrounding area.
Sainsbury’s Colwick is the first of three supermarkets the retailer is opening across the UK this November, giving customers the chance to stock up on great value, high-quality fresh food, groceries and gifts in time for Christmas.
With almost 45,000 products available to choose from throughout the state-of-the-art store, Sainsbury’s Colwick will bring the very best in customer choice to the local community.
Food is at the heart of Sainsbury’s and the supermarket features a ‘Fresh Food Market’ with an extensive range of fresh fruit and veg, food-to-go and an in-store bakery selling bread and cakes baked on the premises.
There is also an enticing section of branded and own-brand grocery products from dairy to deli favourites, frozen food, confectionary and savoury snacks, all of which include a wealth of vegetarian, vegan and free-from options.
From the day of opening, the store will take part in Sainsbury’s Food Donation Programme, distributing surplus food from the store to local charity Meet, Greet and Eat. This forms part of Sainsbury’s nationwide partnership with Neighbourly, which works to reduce the amount of food waste within stores’ operations and helps support local charity partners within communities across the UK.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Property Director, said, “We’re delighted to now be able to open our doors to shoppers in Colwick. We have created over 200 jobs at the new store and are really pleased to have delivered one of our greenest supermarkets to date, ensuring it’s a supermarket that’s built for the future.
'The initial response to Sainsbury’s Colwick has been fantastic and I’d like to thank the local community for the support throughout the construction phase, and for the warm welcome we’ve had so far.”
Paul Wain, Sainsbury’s Colwick Store Manager, said, “My fantastic new team and I are thoroughly enjoying welcoming customers to the store for the first time today and are proud to be able to provide a wide range of high-quality products at great prices. We’re really looking forward to becoming an integral part of the community here in Colwick. ”
Tom Randall, Member of Parliament for Gedling said, “This is a really exciting time for the Colwick community. It is especially pleasing for me to be able to welcome Sainsbury’s to the area as well as the significant investment and the new jobs created through the construction period and now within the store. I look forward to continuing to work with Sainsbury’s and wish the new team every success.”
Leader of Gedling Council, Councillor John Clarke said, “I’m delighted that Sainsbury’s has opened its new store to customers. In my role as neighbouring Netherfield ward councillor, I know this is a welcome addition to the local community and will benefit a great number of people in the local area. “
Portfolio Holder for Growth and Regeneration at Gedling Borough Council, Cllr Jenny Hollingsworth said “The new Sainsbury’s Colwick supermarket will lead the way for future supermarkets, with a range of exciting features, which make it truly sustainable. The investment is a real boost to the local area and is providing a range of opportunities for local people to benefit from.”