Sainsbury's store in Portsmouth confirmed for closure next month
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The Sainsbury’s Local in London Road, North End, will cease trading on October 5.
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Hide AdIt comes as Sainsbury’s announced plans to close 15 supermarkets and 40 convenience stores across the country, as the firm looks to cut costs by £500m in the next five years.
The stores being closed as part of that announcement have not yet been confirmed.
A sign has been put up in the shop window, informing visitors of the news.
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Hide AdThe London Road site itself was previously an Odeon cinema, which closed in 2008 and was then occupied by OJ’s Discounts.
When Sainsbury’s announced it would be moving into London Road back in April 2012, councillors welcomed it as a major part of plans to redevelop North End.
But ward councillor for Nelson, Cllr Jason Fazackarley, believes the closure of Sainsbury’s won’t lead to a mass exodus of businesses in the area.
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Hide AdHe said: ‘Life in the retail sector is tough, and there has been a lot of competition since the arrival of Lidl and Aldi.
‘The loss of any business is a setback to North End, and clearly we will want to plug the gap left by Sainsbury’s as quickly as possible.
‘But I don't think this will start a general decline – it’s terrible for the workforce but this certainly seems like an individual business case.'
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Hide AdA Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: ‘Our Portsmouth London Road Local is closing soon but customers can continue to shop with us at our nearby Sainsbury’s and Argos stores.
‘We updated colleagues on our plans earlier this year and everyone has been offered the opportunity to redeploy to other roles in the area.’
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