Sainsbury’s has applied to build a 5,950 sq m (64,000 sq ft) supermarket at Longwood Road, Newtonabbey, outside Belfast in Northern Ireland.
It wants to build on a site, adjoining the Abbey Shopping Centre, currently occupied by other retailers including MFI and Carpetright. Sainsbury’s has entered into discussions with these retailers with a view to their relocating elsewhere in the event of Sainsbury’s obtaining planning permission, according to a company statement.
The move by Sainsbury’s will bring it into direct competition with arch-rival Tesco, which has secured a site in the same area. Sainsbury’s regional development director Chris Fenner said: “We are delighted to have secured such a prime site&the Abbey Centre is a key retail destination drawing customers from all over Newtownabbey, north and west Belfast and beyond.
Sainsbury’s has four supermarkets up and running in the province and a further two are under construction. It has also secured conditional consents for another two in Londonderry and East Belfast and is building a non-food retail park in Newry.
EGi News 20/07/98
