Sainsbury’s completes first supermarket conversion of 2025 following strategic store acquisitions
Sainsbury’s has launched the first of 14 retail sites that it recently acquired for conversion into supermarkets.
The move forms part of Sainsbury’s Next Level strategy as it looks grow its supermarket coverage across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Acquired last autumn, the sites are predominantly former Homebase stores although two were were purchased from East of England Co-op. Since then Sainsbury’s has been working at pace to convert them into brand-new Sainsbury’s Superstores, with the first site now having opened in Felixstowe.
The new supermarket is Sainsbury’s first store in the East Suffolk town following a multimillion-pound investment by the retailer. Spanning 19.000 square feet, the store is situated at 189 Hamilton Road in a converted part of the Great Eastern Square shopping precinct. A second site is expected to launch in Brightlingsea later this year.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Over the next two years Sainsbury’s will add over 400,000 square feet of new space to its estate. It is also planning to open another 25 new convenience stores in each of the next two years.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement Officer & managing director of Smart Charge, said: “We were delighted to open our fantastic supermarket in Felixstowe, putting Sainsbury’s on the doorstep of customers in the town for the first time.
“It was also an exciting moment for our business as the launch marks the first of many brilliant new supermarkets we plan to open over the next two years, following our strategic decision to acquire 14 new sites for conversion into Sainsbury’s last year.
“Our bold plan is driven by our belief in the strength of Sainsbury’s offer and our commitment to bringing more of our delicious, high-quality and great value food within easy reach of more customers.”
