Published: Thursday, 1st April, 2010 11:00am
11th Tesco is in store
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YET another Tesco is coming to town - the 11th.
The former Blockbuster store opposite the Broad Street Mall is set to become home to one of the superstore's Express branches. The company is close to submitting a planning application for new signs for part of the unit at 28-36 Oxford Road, which already has planning permission for retail use.
Spokeswoman Melanie Chiswell said: "The store is aimed at those people living and working within a very small radius where you can walk to work. It enables people to top up their shopping rather than driving to a supermarket."
Greg Costello, who owns Workhouse Coffee in Oxford Road and has just opened another branch in King Street, said: "I just despair. I'm sure footfall on the Oxford Road has dropped 70% since the big Tesco opened here and there's no-one to even discuss it with because so many have gone out of business. There should be some diversity - it was good when there was a video shop there.
"There are people out there who want to sell us the most fantastic hand-made, home-produced stuff but they just can't because the big players dominate."
For the full story and much more reaction, see today's Reading Chronicle.

















