BASKET SWAP
‘Explains the empty shelves’ say shoppers as supermarket with 1,000 branches closes store doors TODAY
One customer hopes the new store will have a bakery
A MAJOR supermarket with 1,000 branches is closing one today, leaving shoppers bewildered.
Aldi on Halbeath Road, Dunfermline is set to close today for three months so that the store can be refurbished.
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Customers will have to head to Nightingale Place in Dulock Park to do their weekly shopping.
The renovations hope to improve shoppers' experience and add more stock to the supermarket shelves, according to an Aldi spokesperson.
They said: "In order to provide an improved shopping experience for Dunfermline customers, the Aldi store on Halbeath Road will close on Sunday 18th of February to undergo an exciting refurbishment.
"We will be re-opening our new-look Aldi store in May."
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Disappointed locals went on Facebook to voice their anger at the news of the store's closure.
One angry shopper wrote: "F***sakes I'll need to go all the way to Duloch."
Another said: "What are we going to do now?"
"Aww no gonna miss this till it reopens," added a third.
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However, shoppers can be excited about the store's renovations that will bring some needed in-store updates.
Explains why half the shelves have been missing of late.
Gary Cooney
Some customers speculate that the store will be adding more self-checkout services and one shopper hopes the renovations include adding "an in-store bakery".
The bargain supermarket chain planned to temporarily close a number of its stores which angered a lot of shoppers.
Aldi's store in Thetford shut its doors on October 14 before reopening a few weeks later.
Yet, people were so upset they threatened to boycott the store's reopening.
Similarly, Aldi closed another branch in Sheerness town centre in November.
However, Aldi has confirmed its shoppers won't be without a store for long.
The retailer announced plans to open its new £9 million store in Neats Court, Queenborough in April.
The new multi-million-pound complex is opposite the Queenborough retail park and will be a third larger than the existing premises with 134 parking spaces - 59 more than in Sheerness.
After the major retailer opened its 1000th store, Aldi announced plans for its next phase of expansion which will include another 500 stores.
The retailer said: "It is a long-term target and is not a ceiling to our ambition to have an Aldi store close to everyone in the UK."
However, as Aldi hopes to expand many other popular retailers have struggled over the past few years.
Energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
Homebase closed a store last year leaving it with just 93 stores remaining since it was taken over by Hilco Capital in 2018.
Poundstretcher closed multiple stores last year but also opened new stores in closed Wilko stores.
Even charity shops are struggling Oxfam confirmed it would close eight of its UK stores last year.
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Clintons, Boots, HMV and Halfords are among the chains shutting stores.
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