GO AD LITE | £30 off your Annual Digital subscription. Use code AUTUMN
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
Pictures show inside a gutted former Morrisons superstore poised to become Home Bargains.
The supermarket in Faversham, closed its shutters for good on September 17, shocking many shoppers.
Morrisons axed the North Lane store after announcing its performance was unsustainable and revealed plans to sell up during the summer.
It has taken just weeks for workers to strip the interior, where wires can be seen hanging from the ceiling above an almost empty floor.
But hopes are high the building will not stay empty for long, as it appears Home Bargains could open up at the site by the end of the year.
So far, the discount chain has remained tight-lipped over an official opening date.
Morrisons staff who requested redeployment have now been found alternative roles within the company.
In an email from Morrisons, seen by KentOnline, bosses revealed plans are in place to sell the site to Home Bargains.
It also says the new branch is expected to open by the end of 2023.
Labour town councillor Rob Crayford previously said: “I think this is great for the staff in Morrisons who are being given the chance to be redeployed – and Home Bargains coming in is good for jobs and good for Faversham as a whole.
"Faversham doesn’t have anything quite like Home Bargains. We know people travel to Canterbury for Home Bargains or B&M, so hopefully it attracts those people too.
“Overall, I think it’s good there’s a retail opportunity that provides jobs and helps the local economy.”
Home Bargains has more than 500 sites around the UK, growing rapidly since it first opened in Merseyside 47 years ago.
There are currently 10 in Kent with nearby Sittingbourne, Canterbury and Whitstable all offering customers what the company calls “top brands, bottom prices”.
The news will come as a relief to residents who feared the site could be turned into housing.
Speaking in July, a Morrisons spokesperson said: “Following a thorough review of the Faversham store's operation, unfortunately we do not believe performance is sustainable.
“We are therefore announcing we have made the difficult decision to sell the store.”
Home Bargains was approached for comment.