In St Ann’s, people have spoken out about wanting to see a low budget supermarket in the area. The landmark discount store I.C Discounts on Wells Road has recently closed after 28 years and the Aldi on Huntingdon Street, on the suburb's border with the city centre, closed on August 1st 2021.
Now, people in St Ann’s are concerned as they have to either travel to go and do their shopping or go to the Tesco in Victoria Centre which, for some, is expensive. People have outlined what they’d like to see replace what was Aldi on Huntingdon Road with many saying another store.
Builder Aaron Daley, 33 and from St Ann’s, said that more needs to be done with St Ann’s in general. He said: "We have a Heron but what we really need is something like Aldi. I’ve never known an Aldi to just close all of a sudden and that one [on Huntingdon Road] was really popular. I went there all the time, now, I think that there needs to be a low-budget store whether it’s where Aldi was or not but Wells Road is massive, something can be put along there.”
Read more: Here's what people living in St Ann's think of the area
Aaron went on to say that he feels St Ann’s has been let down and said: “The area is forgotten about most of the time. We’re only remembered when there’s plans for more student accommodation. An area wanting a cheap supermarket isn’t too much to ask for.”
Sonia Da, is currently on maternity leave and lives in St Ann’s. The 25-year-old said that the nearest big supermarket is Tesco. She said: “I think there needs to be a new supermarket, Aldi was the nearest option for me and now, Tesco is my only option. Everyone’s on a budget so you can’t just depend on one supermarket.”
To get to the nearest low-budget supermarket, Sonia has to travel half an hour by bus. Sonia continued: “When it closed [Aldi] I thought ‘why?’ and everyone else asked the same. Prices at Tesco can be expensive and I don’t mind too much but they’ll be other people that will.”
Barbara Smith, 75, works in a care home and lives in St Ann’s. She agrees there needs to be a low-budget supermarket and said: “There should be another supermarket. The nearest Aldi is on Woodborough Road and the nearest Lidl is in Carrington. We have to go to Tesco or go to Heron but you can’t do your full food shop in Heron.”
Barbara travels to Carlton Road to do her shopping, she has to travel by bus and then get a taxi on her way back with all her shopping. If not, she’ll do a shop online. Barbara who has lived in St Ann’s for 50 years also feels like the area is forgotten about, she said: “We need something in St Ann’s, they think we’re rubbish is St Ann’s.”
