Iceland could open in Grantham by Easter
Grantham’s much anticipated Iceland store could be open by April, almost eight months after the opening was announced.
A spokesman for Grantham Jobcentre said it has been given a date of April 16 for the opening, although this has not been confirmed by Iceland.
Employer adviser at the Jobcentre Jonathan Beech told the Journal that about 200 people were being interviewed for jobs at the store which will open in the former Poundworld unit on the Augustin Retail Park. Interviews are taking place at the Jobcentre.
A spokesman for Iceland told the Journal: “I’m afraid we can’t confirm an exact date for the opening at this stage as it may change closer to the time, although I can tell you that the store will create 25 new jobs.”
Iceland announced in October that it would be opening a store in Grantham after it had bought 19 of the former Poundworld stores.
Iceland has existing stores in Melton, Sleaford and Newark and a spokesman for the company said: “Grantham is an obvious gap in our network.”
The Grantham branch of Poundworld opened in April 2016 in the former Brantano shoe store between Sports Direct and Home Bargains, creating 30 jobs.
But the branch closed in August after the entire chain of Poundworlds fell into administration. Some 335 stores were affected nationally and thousands of jobs were lost.
Poundland, which has a store in the Isaac Newton Centre, soon announced that it would take over 20 of the Poundworld sites.