The Tesco Metro in the Chantry Centre in Andover is due to close at the end of their current lease which runs out at the end of June this year.
Councillor Nigel Long spoke to Tesco on Friday about the closure and was told there were several reasons why, but that they would make every effort to find work at the other Tesco shops around the town for the employees.
The reasons given were:
- The lease on the store ends this June;
- This is the only store they do not own so are limited in what they can do;
- Tesco have 10 other shops in a 13 mile radius of Andover;
- Footfall in the shop is down;
- The Tesco extra at River Way is their main site where most of their range is stocked;
Councillor Long said: “I also highlighted the fantastic staff in the Chantry centre site, especially David who was a Pride of Andover winner in 2013 and how he is a tremendous asset to the store. Always friendly and helpful.”
“My main concerns and thoughts are with all the staff and families whose livelihoods depend on working at Tesco. I did say that I hope that all the staff will be offered other jobs within the group.”
Tesco have been on the current site for many years, originally spread over two floors with a Homewares section on the first floor.
Updated Monday 17th March at 1.45pm
We asked for a response from Tesco – a Tesco spokesperson said:
“Closing the store was a difficult decision and our priority is to do everything we can to find alternative roles within Tesco for as many affected colleagues as possible. We’ll continue to serve customers in Andover from our Extra on River Way and through our online grocery shopping service.”
Another shop closing. Soon none will be left in the Chantry Centre
Please find someone who knows the difference between there and their and also with and where. If you are writing for the public on a public forum learn to write properly
Thank you for spotting that Su. Missed it after adding that section.
Don’t forget to put a full stop at the end of your rant Su.
Homewares section on the first floor?!?! Is this bad facts or something I’m blissfully unaware of?!
‘Originally’ – not currently
Why not ask Morrison if they would concider taking
over the store. The older people of Andover need a store like that in the town.
I am absolutely devastated at the news of Tesco shutting down, 6 years ago on a frosty morning I went to this store to get bacon for me toasty and I saw this handsome man staring at me from across the meat isle. This man is now my husband and it brings a tear to my eye knowing that the place we met will be no more.
SAVE OUR STORE!!!!!
I had my first marital argument in there way back in 1975!
When the store on River Way was under constrution, it was mentioned then that the one in town would close, it was just a matter of time when it would be.
There maybe others on here that did not know that.
I remember going upstairs when I was very small they had a home sections and toys upstairs. I remember buying board games upstairs and my first swing lol!
They even managed to have Father Christmas up there back in the 80s. Going to miss the memories.
Wot mourn the loss of tesco? I’m sure they did not bat an eyelid when all the off licences, green grocers , butchers,news agents closed because they were priced out of it.
The council were more than happy to take their money with the promise of jobs at a cost to the independants that once filled our high street. Only to end up with a dead town centre and the main store only taking on temporary jobs on zero hour contracts. They only offer you free parking, everything else comes at a real price, that’s tesco value for you .
whoever owns the premises will have a huge bill for business rates… lol – Tescos only kept it open because they could not get out of the lease after the River Way store was open and they were responsible for the business rates, now it is due to run out and the emphasis for the crippling business rates gets handed back to the owner of the building. A big swivel and two fingers up to the government and town council. Last laugh may be on the tax payers of Andover though because if the town council do have controlling shares in the chantry centre then the taxpayers in Andover will have to foot the business rate bill
I think the major concern is how many other retailers are there in The Chantry Centre that are simply waiting out their lease? I think we should prepare ourselves for futher closures as individual lease agreements come up for renewal!
In many ways I feel sorry for TVBC over this. They’ve done an awful lot to help Tesco develop the River Way site, planning wise, to what it’s become, and this closure puts pressure back on TVBC and their part in the running (part owning?)
of the Chantry Centre.
I don’t think many of us envisaged the consequences to the High Street back when an out of town store was first opened. Tesco haven’t helped much over the last 20 years or so, driving out the smaller grocer, fishmonger, greengrocer, butcher, off licence etc etc. They’re acting like spoilt brats. Surely they’re big enough to renegotiate their lease on better terms and keep the store open? They can’t even be bothered to give a firm decision about re-employment to their staff.
It’s hard to tell if their presence eventually saw off Approach as a petrol station, but a recent example of their greed is opening their own car wash and valeting service, when there’s already one over the road.
They also don’t seem to care too much about the state of the fringes of their site. Asda staff recently got stuck in to removing litter from the river by their store. By Tesco, there’s an area of water that’s constantly full of litter and often stagnant, and even though some staff chuck their cans and cigarette butts in there Tesco just reel out the “nothing to do with us line”! Very community spirited!
Also, the recent contaminated fuel and the smelly store episodes weren’t handled particularly well. The motto seemed to be deny, deny , deny. I gather that recently someone reported that the store was smelling again and that Tesco have denied that the November complaints didn’t take place.
If they go, so be it. If the store is reoccupied quickly (that’s a big IF!) it could generate something positive and may create opportunities for some independent traders to re-establish a business in the town centre.
Personally, I rarely go in there. In fact, before I moved home, I’d walk past the River Way store to shop elsewhere!
Wouldn’t this site make a fantastic location for the soon to re-opened Breakers. Imagine a bowling venue right in the heart of the centre, and all ground floor level – just an idea……. Also, for those worried about finding new employment – the new scheme at the old Approach site could be up and running in the not oh so distant future. Topps Tiles, Majestic Wine Warehouse, McDonald’s and the BP garage will all need staff, especially those with retail and customer service experience ;-).
The staff are not being redeployed to other sites, they have all been made redundant