Shoppers scoop bags of bargains as new budget store opens in Havant town centre

Bosses at Bargain Buys enjoyed a bumper first day in the Meridian Centre in Havant on Friday when they welcomed swathes of people itching to make a purchase. 

John and Diane Murray, who took their two-and-a-half-year-old grandson, Alexander, walked away happy – with a range of household goods and a children’s toy. 

‘We were actually out in the park but we heard a DJ by the Meridian Centre, so we followed the noise and saw the shop had just opened,’ said John, 75, from Havant. 

‘We ended up buying a few things in the end. 

‘It’s awful to see there’s a lot closing down lately, so to see a store breathe some new life is exactly what we need.’ 

Theresa Stirling, also from Havant, poked her head inside to ‘see what the shop was selling’. 

She may well have been one of the top customers of the day. 

‘I came out with eight carrier bags full of stuff – there was lots of variety,’ the 56-year-old said. 

‘They actually gave me a voucher for £5 off, which I wasn't expecting. I’ll definitely be going back.’ 

The opening followed the launch of a Bargain Buys store in London Road, North End, in November.