Everything to do with Shops

[SteveH]

A TESCO Express will be opening at the former Poundland in Llandudno next year.          pioneer

In September, the Pioneer reported that Tesco Stores Limited were working on places for a new Tesco Express at the unit previously occupied by Poundland on 87-89 Mostyn Street.

The company had made an application to the Licensing Authority at Conwy County Borough Council. This was for a grant of a premises licence.

A Tesco spokesperson has now said: ?While we do not have an opening date yet, we look forward to serving the local community in Llandudno in early 2024.?

[SteveH]

The price of some festive chocolate boxes has risen by at least 50% in a year, according to Which?

While overall inflation for supermarket food and drink eased in November to 8.3%, the rise in the chocolate prices was significantly higher at 15.3%.

This has been blamed mainly on the soaring cost of cocoa, which has nearly doubled due to poor harvests in Africa.

Which? has urged shoppers to compare prices across retailers to get the best value.

At Asda, the consumer group said the price of Green & Black's Organic Classic Miniature Chocolate Bar Collection 180g rose by 67.2%, from an average of ?3.59 in the three months to the end of last November, to ?6 on average in the same period this year.

Over the same period Nestle's Black Magic 348g and Dairy Box Medium Chocolate Box 326g rose from ?3.35 to ?5.25 on average - up 56.6% - Which? found.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67809801

[SteveH]

The shops lost from North Wales high streets in 2023
Some brands have disappeared altogether while others have closed branches in the region

Even before the pandemic the retail sector in many areas was struggling due to the growth in internet shopping. But Covid exacerbated the issues and footfall still remains down on 2019.

For some retailers the drop in shoppers has proved fatal to the entire portfolio while others have been trimming their store numbers - chopping loss making or less profitable stores.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/shops-lost-north-wales-high-28336139?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Llandudno bakery?s sausage roll video goes viral on social media

Benjamin Lee Artisan Bakery, based on Mostyn Avenue, Craig-y-Don, shared the video on its Facebook page on December 20, and has since been viewed 1.6million times.

The short clip depicts Benjamin Lee, who runs the bakery with his wife Dominika, making the sausage rolls ? also known as his ?specialty?.

You can watch the video for yourself at: www.facebook.com/reel/3788958277992576.

Benjamin said: ?It?s crazy, isn?t it?! We?ve been doing these small Facebook ?reels?, which usually get a couple of thousand views, but this one just went cuckoo.

?Facebook even sent us an email to say that we?d been approved for sponsorship on our reels, so we?re just trying to think of what to put on next!

?All I was doing was making sausage rolls, as I?ve been doing for 33 years! They sell really well, too ? I have to make them all the time to keep up.?

All of the products at the bakery, which is open from Tuesday through to Saturday, are made in-house by a team of professionals.

It is currently closed until the second week of January.         ref pioneer

[SteveH]

Supermarkets have busiest Christmas since 2019

Customers made 488 million grocery trips in the four weeks to 24 December, according to research firm Kantar.

Some ?13.7bn passed through the tills, even as food price inflation fell to 6.7% in December - the fastest drop Kantar said it had ever recorded.

Although British households spent ?477 on average, many still feel "pretty hefty pressures on their budgets".

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67865065

[SteveH]

Asda has pledged to match the prices of 287 grocery items with Aldi and Lidl, likely sparking relief for hard-pressed families up and down the country. The firm said the matching means five products have risen in price, 58 are left unchanged, and 224 have dropped by an average of 17%.

The items include breakfast cereals, fresh meat and fruit, with an 80-pack of Asda Golden tea bags (previously costing ?2) now priced at ?1.39. Asda said it would check the cost of similar items in Aldi and Lidl twice a week, matching its price to the cheapest of the two.

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/asda-pledges-to-price-match-aldi-and-lidl-on-hundreds-of-items/

[SteveH]

Closing dates for two Boots stores in North Wales as chain won't u-turn on decision
Boots say sites in Colwyn Bay and Rhos-on-Sea 'no longer viable'

Boots is closing around 300 stores Uk wide. Rhos-on-Sea is scheduled to close on the March 23 and Colwyn Bay on April 6.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/closing-dates-two-boots-stores-28494339

[SteveH]

A WELSH charity that has invested over ?3 million in cancer research projects across North Wales is opening three new shops.

Cancer Research Wales is setting up shop in Llandudno, Wrexham and Bangor in the next three months.

The Llandudno store on Gloddaeth Street will be launching in late February with the Wrexham shop on Priory Street opening for trade in March.

Cancer Research Wales?s brand-new Bangor charity shop in the Menai Centre is scheduled to open its doors in May.

The shops will be selling a range of quality goods and providing opportunities for local people to volunteer.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24076212.cancer-research-wales-open-three-new-shops/

[SteveH]

A POPULAR and well-known convenience store in Llandudno has gone on the market.

The Book Corner, which has stood for more than 30 years, is available for a price of just ?55,000.

The 18 Mostyn Street site is described as ?very busy? and ?well established?, and is made up of accommodation and a ground floor of around 375 sq ft in size.

The lower ground floor also has two storage units, with a combined 339 sq ft of space.

Its availability on the market is a unique opportunity, with the chance to own a convenience store on the high street somewhat of a rarity.

Estate agent St David?s Commercial said of the listing: ?A very busy, well established (over 30 years) business, trading as the business known as The Book Corner newsagent/lottery outlet/tobacconist/vape shop.?    pioneer

[SteveH]

STAFF members at the closing The Works store in Caernarfon could be relocated to the shop in Llandudno.

The Caernarfon site is due to close on March 17, likely leaving members of staff uncertain of their immediate futures.

The retailer said it was looking to relocate the Caernarfon staff to stores in Bangor and Llandudno (Mostyn Street).

MORE: Final approval for leisure hub plans at former Llandudno M&S site

A spokesperson for The Works said: ?We can confirm that we will be closing our store in Caernarfon on March 17.

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24103964.plan-relocate-works-staff-llandudno-store/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

ASDA cafes are offering its customers a free warming breakfast porridge and a hot drink.

The initiative, which includes Llandudno cafe, is open to all ages and will run from Wednesday, February 7 until March 20 daily from 8am to 12pm, in the retailers 205 Asda Caf?s.

The partnership with Quaker will allow customers to enjoy a free bowl of porridge along with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate, to warm up from the UK?s cold winter weather expected this week.

Kris Comerford, Asda?s Chief Commercial Officer, said:  "We know that at this time of year, customers feel an additional strain on household budgets, especially with the colder weather. Building on our successful collaboration with Quaker in 2023, we?re partnering with the brand once again to demonstrate our support for customers and help to alleviate some of the pressures they face through rising living costs.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24105852.asda-cafe-offers-customers-free-porridge-hot-drink/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Popular cosmetics chain The Body Shop is in administration, putting thousands of jobs at risk. The company filed a notice to appoint administrators late on Monday.

The chain operates two stores in North Wales, in Llandudno and at Broughton Park, Flintshire. The retailer, which runs more than 200 shops across the UK, has appointed insolvency experts from FRP Advisory to oversee the process.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/body-shop-falls-administration-thousands-28624115?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

The administrators of Body Shop have announced the closure of a further 75 shops with mixed fortunes for the stores in North Wales. They also confirmed that 489 people will lose their jobs as part of the closures.

The closures listed below come on top of seven others announced last week. In North Wales one store is on the hitlist while another has survived.

But there was better news for the shop in Llandudno which is to remain open.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/full-list-75-body-shop-28728037

[SteveH]

Which? names cheapest supermarket with ?37.51 difference in basket price

And the winner is...

Aldi has been identified as the most affordable supermarket in February, according to research by Which?. The consumer watchdog's monthly analysis compared the average prices of a set of popular groceries at eight major UK supermarkets.

For a shopping list of 72 items this month, Aldi emerged as the cheapest, with groceries averaging ?125.43 per month. Lidl, another discount store, closely followed at ?128.19 on average, costing ?2.76 more,

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/which-names-cheapest-supermarket-with-37-51-difference-in-basket-price/

[SteveH]

Food hygiene ratings of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay area supermarkets

This is how supermarkets Llandudno, Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay and surrounding areas are rated:

Rated 5: Aldi, Mostyn Champneys Retail Park, Llandudno; scored on 15 March 2019
Rated 5: Aldi, 394 Abergele Road, Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay; scored on 9 December 2019
Rated 5: Asda, Conway Road, Llandudno; scored on 30 January 2023
Rated 5: Asda, Conway Road, Llandudno Junction; scored on 14 December 2018
Rated 5: Co Op, 31-33 Mostyn Avenue, Craig y Don, Llandudno; scored on 24 November 2017
Rated 5: Co Op, Glan y Mor Road, Penrhyn Bay, Llandudno; scored on 3 February 2020
Rated 5: Co Op, 157 Conway Road, Llandudno Junction; scored on 12 July 2019
Rated 5: Co Op, 19 Cefn Road, Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay; scored on 18 April 2019
Rated 5: Co Op, 35 Llandudno Road, Rhos On Sea; scored on 17 December 2019
Rated 5: Home Bargains, BayView Shopping Centre, Colwyn Bay; scored on 9 September 2019
Rated 5: Iceland, Mostyn Champneys Retail Park, Llandudno; scored on 15 August 2018
Rated 5: Iceland, Conway Road, Llandudno Junction; scored on 1 May 2018
Rated 5: Iceland, BayView Shopping Centre, Colwyn Bay; scored on 18 June 2018
Rated 5: Lidl, Vale Road, Llandudno Junction; scored on 4 July 2022
Rated 5: Lidl, Conway Road, Colwyn Bay; scored on 7 November 2019
Rated 5: Marks & Spencer, Parc Llandudno, Conway Road, Llandudno; scored on 30 June 2022
Rated 5: Morrisons, BayView Shopping Centre, Colwyn Bay; scored on 22 November 2022
Rated 5: Tesco, 6G Road, Llandudno Junction; scored on 29 November 2019