Delight as Asda temporary store opens

Delight as Asda temporary store opens

31 January 2024

ALMOST three months after the Asda store in Downpatrick closed due to catastrophic flood damage, a temporary replacement opened to the public last week.

Located adjacent to the main store, which is likely to be bulldozed due to the scale of the damage, the temporary store is expected to be in place for some time.

The 14,000 sq ft temporary building in the Downe retail park is approximately half the size of the original store. 

With limited space, it will provide everyday essentials including produce, meat and fish, frozen, grocery and beers, wines and spirits, offering a short-term solution for Asda’s regular customers.

During the sudden closure of the main store — which was ordered by structural engineers examining the extent of the flood damage — 156 staff members were redeployed to other Asda stores.

Last week, they were reunited for the first time to prepare for Thursday’s official opening.

Store manager, Ciara Smith, said she was “over the moon” to have the Downpatrick store up and running again.

She explained that although there is smaller store space, she is proud Asda has been able to come up with a 

temporary solution that enables it to still serve our customers.

“The flooding has taken its toll on the people and businesses of Downpatrick and it fills me with pride to be able to re-inject a bit of Asda magic into the town centre, only three months after our store was forced to close,” said the manager.

“Above all, I applaud our amazing colleagues for their support, flexibility and positivity.”

Ciara explained whether they were deployed to other stores or changed roles to support different parts of they business, they “stepped up to get us through this difficult period”.

The manager said the staff deserve so much praise for their hard work, especially in getting the store ready to open.

Fittingly, two of the store’s longest serving colleagues, Carol Campbell and Muriel McKee, both of whom have clocked up 36 years’ service, cut the ribbon and officially declare the temporary store open.

“This is a very special day for all of us,” said Muriel. “We’re thrilled to play our part and can’t wait to see all the familiar faces shopping with us once again.”

The Downpatrick store’s community champion, Linda Owens, has continued to support the local community during the store’s closure, thanks to the backing of over £7,500 of grants from the Asda Foundation. 

Linda helped support a variety of local groups who felt the full impact of the flood damage with the money used to finance the clean-up operation to funding food hampers for vulnerable families who were left out of work due to the floods.

Asda’s senior director for Northern Ireland, Niall Keyes, said it was “wonderful” for Asda to be open again in Downpatrick. 

“A lot of hard work from Ciara and the team has gone into finding a solution so we can continue to provide a much-valued service,” he said.

“We’re thrilled to be able to play our part in reviving activity and driving footfall in this vibrant town centre. We’ve always prided ourselves on being at the heart of the local community and today’s opening really brings this to life.”

Niall said work to get the temporary store open was a real team effort involving the hard work and support of many stakeholders, in particular Newry, Mourne and Down Council, local politicians and other town traders.

And he believes the opening of the temporary store marks an important first step in the regeneration of Downpatrick.

Niall added: “We look forward to building on this momentum in the months ahead.”

Newry, Mourne and Down Council chairwoman, Valerie Harte and Downpatrick councillors Oonagh Hanlon, Philip Campbell and Gareth Sharvin have welcomed the opening of the new temporary store which they visited last week.

Cllr Hanlon said the store’s opening will send a strong message that Downpatrick is open for business, urging shoppers to support all local businesses.

Cllr Campbell said it is clear to see the efforts of the Asda team to open the temporary store.

“It will undoubtedly provide stability to staff and their families who were relocated to other stores,” he added.

Cllr Sharvin said he hopes the opening of the store will lead to increased footfall in the town centre and provide all businesses impacted by last November’s devastating flood with a boost.

Former Downpatrick councillor, Dermot Curran, said the store’s opening is “good news” for the town and will hopefully provide a boost for other businesses.

He is also keen to see progress on financial support for town centre businesses impacted by last November’s town centre flood to help rejuvenate Downpatrick’s retail heart.

The new temporary store will operate Asda’s normal opening hours and will continue to run a click and collect service.

It emerged at the start of the year that the original store which closed after major structural defects were discovered is to be bulldozed and rebuilt, with the work subject to securing all necessary planning approvals and consents.

Structural engineers discovered 31 defects in the wake of November’s flood during a forensic examination of the main building which Asda leases. They included an issue with the foundation floor and large cracks which appeared in walls. Damage was also reported to interior ceilings and floors.