Sainsbury’s aims to open more supermarkets in Scotland, following the acquisition of another former Homebase store.
The supermarket has acquired the lease for the 33,000 sq ft site in Cuckoo Bridge Retail Park, Dumfries, with plans to convert it into a Sainsbury’s store by the end of the year.
The site, which is owned by NewRiver REIT, is the twelfth former Homebase store Sainsbury’s has acquired since the DIY retailer collapsed into administration in September 2024. The chain was partially saved by The Range owner CDS Superstores in November, in a deal that included 70 of 120 stores.
Sainsbury’s has set the aim of refurbishing 180 of its supermarkets and opening around 75 new Local stores under its three-year Next Level strategy, which launched in 2024.
In addition to former Homebase stores, it has also acquired sites from Co-op. The majority have been in locations where Sainsbury’s doesn’t have a major presence.
Once open, the new Homebase would be Sainsbury’s first in Dumfries, following the acquisition of a former Homebase site in Glenrothes In October. That followed an initial deal to acquire 10 former Homebase leaseholds from HHGL in August. All 12 stores are set to be opened by the end of 2025.
“As we progress with our Next Level Sainsbury’s plan, and our commitment to bring more of our food offer to more customers, we are focused on delivering fantastic new supermarkets in key locations where we know they will succeed,” said Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement officer and MD of Smart Charge.
“This supermarket will showcase some of the best of Sainsbury’s, and we’re excited to bring a new store to Dumfries for the first time.”
Dumfries was one of a “pipeline of new store investment in Scotland”, Dunne added.
“We look forward to sharing more details about our plans with elected representatives and the local community in the coming weeks.”
Sainsbury’s has submitted a change of use application to Dumfries and Galloway Council. The new store would create an expected 100 new jobs in the area, Sainsbury’s said.
It follows Sainsbury’s announcement last week that 3,000 roles had been cut from its stores and head office, in what CEO Simon Roberts described as an “acceleration” of the Next Level plan, which aims to save £1bn from the business.
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