Budgens has opened its flagship store in Crouch End, north London, following a three-week refit.
The store in Crouch End was opened by regular customer Keith Dunkley who has been shopping there for 20 years.
The 8,600 sq ft store boasts a bigger selection of fresh products including new Budgens own branded lines, an extensive bakery selection from local bakers Dunn’s and a continued focus on authentic, affordable, artisan and locally produced foods.
New features include a hot porridge bar, a hot soup bar, salad bar, grind-your-own coffee beans offering seven different varieties and an in-store patisserie section.
Store manager Tony Stone said: “We’ve completely redesigned the store inside and staff have worked hard to get everything ready for the opening. It’s a brighter store with more space for browsing and a much bigger focus on fresh.
“As soon as you walk in you see a large fresh area and the key shopping missions of lunch, meal for tonight and top up. Customers seem to like the new hot food and salad bar and the response has been really positive.”
The opening was backed by a marketing campaign to local residents, which saw Budgens door-dropping 2,000 Lindt chocolate bunnies to local postcodes, with a £5 voucher to redeem on shops over £20.
Customers are also being treated to free samples in the opening few days.
This is the third concept store to open under the repositioned Budgens brand, but the first in London. It builds on the success of the lab store opened in Broadstone, Bournemouth in October 2014.
Budgens hopes to rejuvenate the British high street by delivering ‘posh nosh for the masses’ and changing the image of convenience retailing.
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