Stroud Chamber of Trade chairman Tony Davey has expressed his delight at the opening of Tesco Express.
Under the umbrella of Mark Dransfield’s Five Valleys Shopping Centre, the new Tesco Express store will open on Merrywalks Road on February 22nd and Mr Davey welcomed the news, he said: “It is positive news that we have another premises opening within the town.
“As we move to utilise more space within our owns for residential
use, those residents need nearby services to support their in-town
living; services that operate at times that make it convenient for them.
“Having more people living in our towns, such as over retail and
commercial premises, helps to address our housing shortages and helps
improve security and improves the feeling of safety within our towns.
Stroud town centre is below provision of supermarket-style shopping
compared to other towns in our District, including Nailsworth,
Wotton-under-Edge and Dursley.
“The opening of a Tesco Express helps to address that imbalance.
“Having this unit occupied for this purpose will also be of benefit to
those who use buses for all or part of their public transport journey to
travel to and from the town.
“It may also increase valuable footfall as it helps ensure that the needs in a visit can be fulfilled without the need for an additional visit to an out-of-town store or worse still, only visiting out-of-town and avoiding using the town at all.
“This new store is providing jobs and opportunities, especially for younger people who can find securing employment difficult.”
