Superstores invest millions in Bexhill

Tesco, Sainsbury's and Lidl have all invested heavily in the town in recent months and each look set to try and corner the market in grocery shopping.

Now the race is on for the Christmas pound in your pocket.

It is thought to be another sign of Bexhill's regeneration, coming days after recent announcements of link road funding and on the back of significant private investments in the area.

Last week, Lidl opened its 998 square meter store on the site of the former ex-catalogue warehouse, in Sidley.

The German owned discount-grocery chain aims to have an estimated annual turn over of 3.3 million.

Meanwhile at Buckhurst Place Sainsbury's has been celebrating the 2 million refurbishment of its town centre site.

Special events were held on Saturday to lure back customers after a brief closure.

Store manager David Hunt, said: "We just had a bit of a party to celebrate the refurbishment and had some fun with a clown giving away balloons. Just a nice family atmosphere.

"The store has all new fixtures and fittings, we have new displays and new checkout systems. We also have a new fleet of trolleys, as the other ones were getting old, and they have gone down very well with the customers.

"The refit was really about getting the whole thing updated. It has been here a long time and now we can give people a taste of shopping at a modern Sainsbury's."

Tesco is part way through building the 14,000 sq ft extension to its Ravenside store. The improvements are due to be completed by spring 2005, but the company is trying to keep customers as comfortable as possible until then.

Initiatives such as last week's 'Tea For Free' campaign are aimed at thanking shoppers for their patience.

A spokesman said: "It is taking a while for the extension to the Tesco store to be completed and customers have been missing their favourite in store tipple - a nice cup of tea - due to the closure of their beloved cafe.

Robin Storer, who has been overseeing the campaign, said; "We always knew that the store cafe was popular and we were very worried when it had to close temporarily.

"Our customers are very loyal and would pop in for a quick refresher while doing their shopping, but we hadn't realised just exactly how disappointed our shoppers would be at the loss of their cafe.

"It really is quite a meeting point for a lot of people especially some of our older citizens.