Sainsbury’s to close Welshpool store
It follows hot on the heels of announcements by WHSmith’s and HSBC that they are ending long associations with the town, but Sainsbury’s departure will leave an enormous facility to fill.
In 2019, the supermarket giant announced it would close up to 15 stores over the following two years, and now it has been revealed that Welshpool is on the list.
“We have updated colleagues on the difficult decision to close our Welshpool store in July and we are doing everything we can to find alternative roles within Sainsbury’s for those affected,” a Sainsbury’s spokesperson told us.
“Customers can continue to shop with us at our Oswestry and Shrewsbury superstores.”
A huge hole to fill
The arrival of Tesco, B&M and Aldi over the past decade will have forced Sainsbury’s hand, and it is more bad news for Welshpool’s struggling town centre.
The question now is how will town planners react to the news? Or, are they even doing anything at all?
Natwest Bank, Pinewood, Signatures, the former butchers and the former charity shop are all still standing empty while Olivers, HSBC and WHSmith’s will create further big holes on the high street this summer, not to mention Janeva which is also set to shut up shop in the coming months.
Sainsbury’s is a huge building, with a car park that takes up just as much space, if not more.
It could, of course, be a prime spot for a much needed housing development, but it could also prove to be an ideal location for a hotel brand like Travelodge, who have said they are keen on Welshpool but would choose Newtown if nowhere was suitable.
But, the sad fact is that jobs are expected to be lost and we hope that those impacted will find suitable alternative employment as soon as possible.
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