Sainsbury’s is closing a store in York – to the dismay of its customers who say it is an important community asset.
The supermarket giant plans to shut the shop on Beckfield Lane in Acomb in September.
That has come as a blow to residents in the area, who say the store team have performed brilliantly, particularly during the pandemic.
Mark Lawrence says the staff have been fantastic during the crisis, including with his 81-year-old mother.
He has written to Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts, expressing his “great sadness and not a little anger” at the plan to close the Beckfield Lane store “making a number of staff redundant”.
He writes:”It may not count much to the head of one of the big four supermarkets but the manager Paula and all the staff at this Local have been fantastic in ensuring the store remained open during the pandemic.
“They have been a great comfort to many of the community including a large elderly population in the area, including my 81-year-old mother who, having shielded for months, made her first trip to the store last summer to be welcomed and given an escort by the ladies in store to ensure other shoppers gave her space to do her little shop in safety.”
‘Galling and hurtful’
He said the nearest other supermarket is the Co-op, which is half a mile away, too far for many older shoppers to walk.
Mark adds: “It is especially galling and hurtful to us in the suburban area the Beckfield Lane store serves that Sainsburys have chosen to open another city centre Local store in Davygate, making a total of Blossom Street, Bishopthorpe Road, Micklegate Loop, Bootham plus the York supermarket in Fossgate.
“It feels like Sainsburys, after years of many people’s support in the area have just decided we’re not worth any effort.”
The Davygate store opened in the city centre yesterday (Friday).
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told YorkMix: “We have updated colleagues on the difficult decision to close our Beckfield Lane Local later this year.
“Colleagues will have the opportunity to redeploy to other roles in the area and customers can continue to shop with us at our nearby Blossom Street Local.
“We understand this will be an unsettling time for those affected and we’re supporting them in any way we can.”