Tesco opens new Express store in Wiltshire town centre

Tesco Express opened on Chippenham High Street, in one of the units previously occupied by Wilko, on the morning of Friday, August 16.

The move came after Tesco decided to relocate its presence in the town centre to a smaller base, by closing its superstore in the Emery Gate Shopping Centre.

Large numbers of loyal shoppers made their way to the High Street on Friday morning to try out the new branch, which boasts both manned counters and self-service checkouts.

Store manager Tommy O’Cain said he was thrilled with both how the store had turned out and the initial response from customers.

READ MORE: Shoppers saddened after Tesco superstore closes permanently

Inside the new Tesco store (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “It’s been really busy, we weren’t sure how it would go but the interest is clearly there and every man and his dog has been in which is really nice to see.

“It’s been so positive, I was a bit worried how people would react with a larger shop closing but it’s been positive.

“A lot of hours have gone into opening, it’s been crazy but worthwhile because seeing this perfect shop is really rewarding.”

The convenience store stocks a wide range of items, including bakery products, and appears larger than many other Express stores around the county.

Mr O’Cain believes shoppers will be “pleasantly surprised” by the retail offering at the branch.

He added: “Hopefully people will continue to shop here and enjoy it because I think they’ll be really pleasantly surprised by the range and size of the store.

“It’s very similar to the old shop, I couldn’t have asked for it to be any better.

“We’ve had a lot of support, and everybody has been really helpful.”

Inside the new Tesco store (Image: Newsquest)

Crucially, Mr O’Cain says no jobs were lost during the transition to a smaller town centre branch.

“It’s a big change for colleagues and we’re trying to make that transition as easy as we can”, he said.

“Colleagues and customers are the most important things to us and I think they’ll all be happy.

“Everybody kept their job and has been redeployed, which in this economy was really great news.”

Tesco Express will share the old Wilko building with two other units.

Starbucks has already been confirmed as the occupant of one of these while the other remains on the market.