Seaton is set to lose one of its prominent food stores as Coop confirms its premises is set to close.
Co-op has confirmed that the store, in Underfleet Way, will close its doors on Saturday, June 11.
A Co-op spokesman said: “The Co-op is moving forward with a clear purpose and momentum and while this often involves opening new stores, we also regularly review our existing locations.
“The decision to close any store is not taken lightly and, only after careful consideration is our store in Seaton to close.
“The decision is in no way a reflection on the hard work and commitment of colleagues, who have been informed and are being fully supported.
“We would like to thank the community for its support of the store over the years.”
The Co-op, with its large car customer car park, has been a prominent part of Seaton, being one of the larger Co-ops in the area.
The Underfleet Way store had an £800,000 revamp in 2008 after the supermarket was given an £800,000 revamp which saw ‘access for all’ automatic doors, new shelving eco fridges and a shopper friendly layout. The shop was given a new shopper-friendly layout and two of the tills became express checkouts.
However, there was concern when the revamp didn’t include installing customer toilets.
The car park itself has been the centre of controversy over the years, with some people caught out by the parking time limits. This led to talks being held between Seaton’s chamber of commerce and Co-op to get the time limit extended to two hours and allowing parking free of charge when it is closed.
The closure of the Co-op is likely to be a blow to those who are pushing for the regeneration of Seaton with the aim of attracting more people to the town.
There is no word what the future holds for the building and the car park, which many people rely on when visiting the Harbour Road area and the shops there.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here