ASDA plans go on display

With a sales area of 40,000 square feet - and 990 car parking spaces - the company has applied for planning permission to convert a unit currently occupied by Homebase into a full ASDA store. Homebase will move to a smaller unit adjacent to the new supermarket.

Details of the development will be on display at the public exhibition at the Millennium Forum this Friday 3 and Saturday 4 September from 10am to 6pm where anyone who is interested will get a better idea of what is being proposed and have the opportunity to feed back their views on the new scheme.

Encouraging people to take up the opportunity to attend, Philip Bartram, ASDA Property Communications Manager said that since the supermarket giant opened its first store in Northern Ireland in 2005, local people may have already experienced ASDA’s famously low prices at its Strabane and Coleraine stores.

"We are really excited about our plans to open a new store and we're looking forward to welcoming local people to the exhibition to hear their views on our proposals,” Mr Bartram said.

“There has been some speculation about ASDA’s plans in the city and we believe at Crescent Link, we have an ideal location with existing infrastructure and parking where a store can be delivered quickly and easily for shoppers,” he continued.

“With up to 350 new full and part time jobs being created, the plans have the potential to stimulate real economic growth in the area. The development will also provide a significant boost to the local economy and coupled with our low prices and excellent customer service will bring benefits to shoppers across the city," Mr Bartram said.

The new store will carry the full range of ASDA products; including George clothing, Extra Special, ASDA brand and Smart Price ranges and will demonstrate the company’s strong commitment to local sourcing. ASDA stores sell over 1000 products from over 90 different suppliers. These account for a significant percentage of the company’s total sales in Northern Ireland.

As part of its recruitment strategy, the company will be setting up a Local Employment Partnership to target local job seekers and the long-term unemployed and as an employer, Mr Bartram said that ASDA was an excellent place to work, being regularly voted one of the UK’s top employers.

In March 2009, for example, the retailer was named ‘Innovative Employer of the Year’ at the Oracle Retail Awards and in June 2010, it was highly commended in the Best Place to Work category of The Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards.

The plans for the new store can also be viewed at www.Asdacrescentlink.co.uk.