After months of anticipation, Calne’s first Lidl store officially opened this morning, drawing large crowds eager to explore the town’s newest supermarket.
The opening began with a welcome speech from a Lidl representative, who said: “It’s been a bit of a journey to get here, but I am really excited that we are finally about to open.” He thanked young members of Calne Town Youth Football Club, who joined Calne Mayor Cllr Ian Thorn for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Cllr Thorn thanked everyone for coming to the ceremony and welcomed Lidl to the town and thanked them for the company for its investment in Calne. The Oxford Road store represents a multi-million-pound investment and has created up to 40 jobs for the town.
As soon as the ribbon was cut, shoppers surged into the store, forming a long, busy line of customers eager to fill trolleys and bags with Lidl’s deals. The store has remained busy throughout the day, with parking spaces still hard to find this afternoon.
The video included in this article was taken by local videographer Derek Freegard, who received a VIP invitation from Lidl for the opening. Over the past two years, Derek has been documenting the construction of the store with his drone footage, giving residents a bird’s-eye view of the project as it progressed.
Visitors today enjoyed complimentary food sampling, prize giveaways, and exclusive in-store offers, as well as the store’s bakery and “Middle of Lidl” promotional section.
Lidl’s Feed it Back surplus food donation scheme will support local organisations, redistributing unsold food to community groups.
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