A SUPERMARKET giant with 2,800 branches is set to shut a store leaving shoppers at a loss.
The Tesco store in a town centre is set to close for more than a month leaving people fearing for their meal deals.
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The Express branch in Whitefriars Shopping Centre will be temporarily closed from Thursday and won’t reopen until March 4.
Until then it means shoppers will need to find somewhere else to shop.
Locals have taken to social media to express their frustration at the sudden closure.
One said “Sainsbury’s trips only” to which their pal replied “RIP :(“.
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Another simply wrote “nightmare” and a third commented “oh no”.
A fourth shopper posted: “It’s so bad that a city as big as Canterbury has so few food shops.”
While another stated: “Yep refurbished Strood. It was a nightmare.
“Also stopped doing some makes of favourite items.”
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And a sixth said: “Oh no whatever shall we do.”
“My meal deals” another cried with broken heart emojis.
Their pal then replied “DEVOOOOOOO Sainsbury’s it is” but the shopper wrote, “it’s just not the same”.
Tesco told The Sun that the store’s refurbishment will improve customers’ shopping experience.
A spokesperson said: “This will include new fridges being installed, a refurbishment of the in-store bakery and a refresh of the outside signage.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the closure and look forward to welcoming customers back to the store when it re-opens in March.”
It’s not the only store Tesco has earmarked for closure recently.
Recently, it confirmed the closure of two stores in the coming weeks.
But the supermarket giant made the “difficult decision” to close its Chippenham store permanently and relocate to a smaller unit on the High Street.
Tesco Group is also shutting the doors at its store on Mill Street in Armthorpe, Doncaster, for the final time.
Local shoppers will have until Sunday, January 27, 2024, to visit the Doncaster store.
But it’s not all bad news for customers with a new store set to be opened in the same spot.
The Tesco will become a One Stop, which is also owned by Tesco Group.
A One Stop spokesperson said: “We’re excited to be opening our Mill Street, Armthorpe store on Thursday, February 22.”
Tesco staff at the store will transfer to the One Stop store.
Retailers have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year and more are on their way.
Several major brands have also collapsed, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
Many etailers have been struggling to get by, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and have no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
British retailers saw the amount of goods they sold drop last month at its fastest rate in three years as under-pressure families shifted part of their Christmas shop to earlier in the year.
Sales volumes dipped by 3.2% in December, data from the Office for National Statistics suggests, down from a rise of 1.4% a month before.
Several big-name chains are pulling down the shutters for the final time this month.
Lidl will be pulling the shutters down on its site in Thornaby next month.
The bargain retailer has confirmed the sites in Stockton-on-Tees will shut on February 29.
Jack Wills in Worcester announced it will be closing down for good on January 30.
Boots revealed it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.
Supermarket chain Co-op is pulling down the shutters on its branch in Peacehaven, East Sussex, on January 20.
The Flannels site in Market Place Shopping Centre, Bolton, will pull down its shutters on January 24, according to local news reports.
High street fashion chain Peacocks is set to pull down the shutters of its branch in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on January 25.
Entertainment retailer HMV is shuttering its branch in Boston, Lincolnshire, on January 27.
And, the hospitality sector has also been hit, seeing pubs like Wetherspoons and restaurants like Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito shut their doors.
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Elsewhere, one of the UK’s oldest greyhound race tracks has shut its doors after nearly 100 years in business.
Plus, a major fast-food outlet with 1,000 restaurants is shutting one of its branches for good.
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