A MAJOR supermarket chain with 1,400 branches closed one of its flagship stores for good following its final day of trading.
Sainsbury’s brought the shutters down on its Whitgift Centre store in Croydon this weekend after 54 years of operation.
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The store, which has been located in the shopping centre since 1969, closed for the final time on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
A sign, which has been at the entrance to the store for weeks, now reads: “This store will be permanently closed from 15 October.
“Your nearest alternative store is West Croydon Station Local.”
It comes four months after Sainsbury’s, the country’s second-largest chain of supermarkets, first made the announcement in June.
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However, the confirmed closure date of the store was a few weeks later than originally suggested, following what the business called a regular “review of our property estate” and based on “a range of factors”.
Regardless, the once popular store has ceased trading after shutting its doors for good this weekend.
The Whitgift Centre’s Sainsbury’s was the chain’s biggest supermarket in the country when it first opened 54 years ago.
But with five other smaller convenience stores in the area, the retail giant confirmed the store was destined for closure.
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Shoppers aren’t overly surprised about the store’s closure with many calling the site run down online.
One person left a recent Google Review of the shop and said: “Not enough staff.
“A long queue for the self-service checkout. The store is due to close soon so has an air of being run down – a pity as it used to be a great store.”
Another said: “The staff is very friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit run down, perhaps because it’s closing down in a few months.”
Sainsbury’s described their decision to close their Whitgift Centre store as “difficult”.
A spokesperson for the supermarket said: “In May we announced that we had made the difficult decision to close our Central Croydon Superstore in The Whitgift Centre and this Saturday will be its last day of trading.
“We understand this is an unsettling time for those affected and since the store’s closure was announced, we have been supporting our colleagues however we can, including exploring opportunities for redeployment within Sainsbury’s.
“When the store closes our customers will be able to continue shopping with us at a number of nearby Sainsbury’s stores, including our West Croydon Station Local, George Streel Local and Croydon High Street Local stores.”
The Whitgift Centre has been blighted by more than a decade of neglect and its feared the Sainsbury’s store closure may be followed by other major traders.
