Second Morrisons for Bath as supermarket chain buys Blockbuster store

Morrisons is to open a second outlet in the city this summer.

The supermarket chain has confirmed it has bought the Blockbuster store in Twerton High Street, which is scheduled to close on March 21.

The collapsed video chain’s administrators had initially kept the Twerton branch open as others closed.

But last week signs appeared in the windows revealing its fate.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Sunday, June 30 2013

The store currently employs eight members of staff.

News manager for Morrisons, James French, said the new convenience store was likely to open by the end of the summer.

He said: “I can confirm that it is one we have bought.

“We don’t have too many details at this early stage but we need to get permissions like change of use and a premises licence because we sell wine and beer.

“People will see a pause while this work happens before notices start to appear. Once the relevant permissions have been granted we will get in there and fit the shop out.

“Convenience stores of this size usually employ about 20 people.”

It is one of more than 50 stores which Morrisons has bought from Blockbuster, camera chain Jessops and CD and DVD retailer HMV, all of which have fallen into administration since the new year.

Currently the Bradford-based supermarket firm has 13 smaller convenience stores across the country but plans to increase this to more than 70 by the end of the year.

With a large store in London Road, Morrisons currently lacks the smaller convenience stores run by competitors Tesco, which has six Express stores in the city and Sainsbury’s, which has two large stores at Green Park and Odd Down, as well as three smaller Local stores.