* You are viewing Posts Tagged ‘Ashington’

Heron Foods launches new website and plots further expansion

Graham Soult May 18, 2012 Online, Supermarkets, Supply Chain, Woolworths No Comments

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New Heron Foods website (18 May 2012)

New Heron Foods website (18 May 2012)

Heron Foods, the Hull-based discount supermarket chain, has launched a new website as it takes its first steps into cyberspace.

Described by Retail Week in 2009 as one of “retail’s best kept secrets”, Heron Foods has traditionally kept a low profile, eschewing a web presence – other than … Continue Reading

Twenty-one North East stores close immediately as Game collapses

Graham Soult March 26, 2012 Financial, Online, Property, Specialist Retailers 1 Comment

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Game in Sunderland's High Street West - now closed (13 Mar 2012). Photograph by Graham Soult

Game in Sunderland's High Street West - now closed (13 Mar 2012)

Twenty-one Game and Gamestation shops in the North East are among the 277 stores that have closed immediately following Game Group’s collapse into administration this morning.

While the administrator, PwC, … Continue Reading

Poundstretcher reveals new visual identity as it reopens ex-UGO stores

Graham Soult March 22, 2012 Brands, Property, Supermarkets, Variety Stores No Comments

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Sign at Poundstretcher in Ashington (21 Mar 2012). Photograph by Graham Soult

Sign at Poundstretcher in Ashington (21 Mar 2012)

Poundstretcher, the discount variety store chain, has reopened the UGO stores that it acquired last month – and has seemingly unveiled a new logo at the same time.

I was in Ashington yesterday, and paid a visit to the ex-UGO … Continue Reading

How Poundstretcher can learn a thing or two from its acquired UGO stores

Graham Soult February 19, 2012 Brands, Property, Retail Parks, Supermarkets, Variety Stores, Woolworths 8 Comments

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Poundstretcher and UGO, Nuneaton (7 Feb 2012). Photograph by Graham Soult

Poundstretcher and UGO, Nuneaton (7 Feb 2012)

After I first revealed that UGO, the fledgling supermarket chain, was set to be sold, there was understandably plenty of speculation about who the buyer was. Now that we know it’s the expanding variety retailer Poundstretcher, what exactly can we make of the … Continue Reading

Breaking news: Well-known chain set to snap up UGO stores and staff

Graham Soult February 01, 2012 Supermarkets 3 Comments

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UGO store, Eston (4 May 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

UGO store, Eston (4 May 2011)

The 20-strong chain of UGO supermarkets is to be snapped up by “a well-known and established brand name”, I understand.

Subject to legals being completed within the next couple of days, all the stores traded by UGO Stores Limited will transfer into the ownership of a new – and as yet unnamed – operator. All store staff will transfer under TUPE to the … Continue Reading

Hexham Poundland opens; Ashington to follow

Graham Soult November 21, 2011 Market Towns, Overseas, Property, Retail Parks, Variety Stores, Woolworths 1 Comment

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Poundland, Hexham (19 Nov 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Poundland, Hexham (19 Nov 2011)

Poundland opened the doors of its new Hexham store last Thursday (17 November) – and I understand that another Northumberland Poundland will be opening in Ashington soon.

The new Hexham store was having a ‘family fun day’ when I visited on Saturday, with the result that every child in Hexham town centre seemed … Continue Reading

Asda’s sale of surplus Netto stores: who gets what in the North East

Graham Soult January 13, 2011 Supermarkets 74 Comments

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Netto store in Gateshead. Photograph by Graham Soult

Netto store in Gateshead

As I blogged earlier, Asda’s acquisition of Netto’s UK business moved a step closer yesterday, with the news that it has reached agreement to sell most of those Netto stores that overlap with existing Asda sites.

Back in May, when Dansk Supermarked A/S … Continue Reading

One day – ten former Woolies – one tired blogger

Graham Soult December 16, 2009 Property, Variety Stores, Woolworths 13 Comments

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Well worth it? Well, perhaps...

Well worth it? Well, perhaps...

Back in September, you might recall me trumpeting the fact that I’d visited six old Woolworths in a day. Today, however, I must confess to visiting (and photographing) ten in one day – or eleven if you count the extra one that I passed on the bus but was too tired to stop at. Needless to say, you … Continue Reading