Dozens of shoppers queued up early on Tuesday morning, July 5, as a new Food Warehouse opened at the Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham. The opening of the store, known as Iceland's bigger little brother, sells food and homeware, as well as exclusive products and deals.
About 40 people were in the queue - some waiting in line from 6am - as the ribbon was cut and shoppers were given vouchers for up to £50 off their shopping. Theresa Clarke, from Clifton, was first in the queue after arriving extra early. "I came here to get the Slimming world things they sell and because it's local.
"My husband dropped me off so thankfully I didn't have to get the bus so I got here at 5:50 but I wasn't aiming to be that early."
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Andrew Hobbs, from Wilford, was second in line after getting up early to join the queue: "I normally go to the one at meadow hall so this is ideal for me. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the jellybeans so I started queueing at 5.50am this morning."
There were plenty of freebies on the day for those who braved the early morning queue with goodie bags from Warburtons, pot noodles, Weetabix and cans of Furocity Energy, the Tyson Fury energy drinks. Shoppers were treated to plenty of freebies as they left the store with an ice cream van due to join in later that day.
Sue Foster from West Bridgford walked to the shop that day to get her shopping done: "I wanted to get some bargains and also to win the raffles. I was hoping to grab some chocolates so I joined just after six."
There were cheers when the ribbon was cut by staff members and shoppers could enter the store for the first time. They were given a red envelope on the way in which contained a voucher for a randomly selected amount off their shop.
The Food Warehouse team had just one week to stock the shelves ready for the launch day. Store manager Dale Taylor-Giles has been with the Iceland brand for 14 years. He said it was all hands on deck when it came to helping out but the staff had everything prepared.
"I'm really pleased with the turnout today. It's been a massive team effort and there have been a lot of local resources we've drawn on to get us ready for the opening. We are looking forward to supporting this community," he said.
"We had a week to get this set up and we literally come into an empty store, like a shell, then we have five days. The store looks amazing but last night was a bit sleepless waiting for today, but this is what it's all about."
Customers were delighted with the bargains on offer at the store, which include exclusive items such as Slimming World, Yo Sushi and Chiquito. The Food Warehouse doesn't just stock food but has a wide selection of alcohol and household items which also attracted a lot of attention.
Michelle Shepherd, from Beeston, was the first customer to leave the store with her shopping. She was delighted with the bargains that she picked up and also, that her envelope contained a £15 voucher to spend in-store.
"There were very good bargains so I got some great stuff. I got a £15 voucher so I can't wait to spend that," she said.
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