More than 50 jobs are being created as Home Bargains gets ready to open its new store in Blairgowrie.
The cut-price retailer is opening in the new Westfield Retail Park in Perth Road on Saturday, July 23.
It will be located next to Lidl, which opened in February this year.
A total of 55 staff will be employed at the shop. Three of those are existing managers transferring from another local store, meaning 52 new posts will be created.
Store will have bakery
Michael Welsh is the store manager. He has been with Home Bargains for almost 12 months as a deputy manager of the Kingsway East branch, having previously spent 12 years as a manager for McDonald’s.
He said: “We know it will be a fantastic addition to this town, and I am very much looking forward to the opportunity.”
The 20,893 sq ft store will contain homewares, health and beauty essentials, sweets, snacks and drinks, fresh and frozen food, plus an in-store bakery.
£2k donated to local charity
Home Bargains will donate £2,000 to Elder Voice, a local charity addressing loneliness, isolation and malnutrition in older people.
Catherine Koemans, treasurer of Elder Voice, said: “This will go a long way to addressing some of the inequalities and disadvantages that many older people face”.
Political backing
The neighbouring Lidl has become established after the opening of its 1,256 sqm supermarket in the Perthshire town.
There is political backing for the Westfield Retail Park development.
Last October local councillors, including the then Perth and Kinross Council leader Murray Lyle, attended the site to “break ground” at Perth Road as construction of the Lidl got underway.
He was joined on a tour of the site by community council chair Scott MacGregor plus Blairgowrie and the Glens councillors, Tom McEwan and Bob Brawn.
The £7 million development was passed by Perth and Kinross councillors in January 2020.
No politicians voted against and only one objection was received but 76 people voiced their objections to the overall masterplan.
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