Hundreds of shoppers woke up early to be the first inside a new Aldi store opening at Nottingham’s new East Point Retail Park.
The discount supermarket opened its doors at 8am on Thursday morning – just one of a series of new shops due open to open in the £10m park.
More than 300 shoppers eagerly waited outside the store, with many queuing from 6am in the hope of getting some bargains.
It’s thought the development on Daleside Road, will create more than 150 jobs overall.
Picture gallery: Shoppers grab a bargain as the 14th Aldi opens in Nottingham
The new opening is part of a plan for the chain to open 65 new stores across the UK.
Dales Ward city councillor David Mellen said: “We’re delighted, the people in Sneinton haven’t got a large supermarket in the area and many of them haven’t got cars, it’s great to have this supermarket opening here, and it will really help people who are struggling with the cost of food and it will bring an improvement to the area.”
The retail park has created 150 jobs in retail and construction – although the Aldi store created seven local positions, with the company opting to use already-trained staff from other stores for many of the unit’s roles.
Built over a period of 18 months on the site of a former derelict factory, the site is part of a wider plan to develop and improve industrial areas near the River Trent, with new homes and proposals for a new more attractive river bank scene similar to the one in West Bridgford.
The food world is changing
Developer Peter Gadsby said: “The aspirations for this area are a major housing regeneration project, but of course you need to have facilities for communities, for getting food and this will help secure it.
“It’s a very successful formula, the food world is changing, and these types of stores are very successful and are providing what people want, which is what we see today.”
Other shops to open on the site include Smyths Toy Store, Just for Pets and Costa Coffee.
Aldi has been making waves in the UK food market with a report of an increase of profits, at a time when shops like Tesco and Morrisons have seen a decline in sales.
The first 100 lucky customers in Colwick were given golden tickets, with some winning televisions, tablets, and money off vouchers.
