120 new jobs as Sainsbury comes to town

Sainsbury's confirmed its takeover of the vacant supermarket on Tuesday, ending months of speculation over the future of the store, which closed in February last year.

The arrival in town of Britain's second biggest supermarket chain will be a boost for traders, shoppers and job hunters.

Traders, particularly, will be eagerly anticipating the former Somerfield being back in business. Its closure 19 months ago has had a devastating effect on many shops at the western end of High Street and in Surrey Street, with some seeing their takings drop by up to 30 per cent as the number of shoppers visiting that part of town plummeted.

John Stevens, chairman of Littlehampton Traders' Partnership, said: "It's brilliant news. This very surprising announcement has thrilled shopkeepers.It will certainly raise the profile of Littlehampton and provide much-needed competition and a wider variety of food shopping in the town centre.

"With Sainsbury's filling the largest empty store in the town centre, it will hopefully restore the number of people shopping in the west end of the town and the fortunes of the retailers who have suffered so badly in the last 19 months.

"People have been calling for Littlehampton to have a high-profile name of this calibre in the town for perhaps half a century and this is a great opportunity to win back customers the town centre has lost to out-of-town supermarket since the Somerfield closed."

Town and Arun councillor Mark Butler, whose ward includes the supermarket, was just as pleased. "It's wonderful, great for the town's economy. I would like to say thank-you to Sainsbury's for having faith in the town."

The Sainsbury's deal comes just weeks after ASDA said it was interested in opening a supermarket in Littlehampton, although not necessarily in the vacant Somerfield premises.

Rumours of Sainsbury's involvement have spread like wildfire through the town since the end of last week, with reports that the Jobcentre Plus office was handing out application forms.

A company spokesman at first denied any knowledge of the takeover, but after a visit by the Gazette to the Jobcentre confirmed the rumours, Sainsbury's issued a follow-up statement with the good news.

"I can confirm we have exchanged contracts, but have no completion date with Somerfield," the spokesman said. Further details of the opening date, how many staff would be employed and the range of goods for sale would be released later, he added.

However, the Gazette understands that 60 full-time and 60 part-time staff are being recruited by the Jobcentre, with a view to the store opening before Christmas. People calling there are being asked to leave their details and will be sent an application form shortly. A jobs fair event may also be arranged.

Somerfield closed the High Street store after taking over the Safeway in nearby Avon Road, leaving the town centre with just one supermarket. But the Competition Commission, investigating Somerfield's acquisition of more than 100 Safeway and Morrison stores nationwide, ruled that Littlehampton was one of a dozen locations where the deals had significantly affected competition.

The commission ordered Somerfield to sell the High Street supermarket to a rival chain and now Sainsbury's has finally arrived in Littlehampton, five years after first expressing interest in a retail and housing development based on the old indoor market.