The Range opens in Dundee

More than 15,000 shoppers flocked to Dundee’s Stack Leisure Park at the weekend to visit its latest addition.

After a highly anticipated launch, new DIY superstore The Range attracted thousands of shoppers to its new Lochee location, where Lord Provost Bob Duncan officially cut the ribbon on Friday.

A queue of 70 customers was waiting before the doors even opened and staff members offered the first 50 customers free merchandise.

And that was only the beginning — on Saturday and Sunday, the store ushered in an estimated 15,000 Tayside shoppers.

Owner and founder Chris Dawson said the store’s huge weekend success could be pegged on its location and the opening’s close proximity to the holidays.

“The opening weekend of Dundee has gone very well and we have received really positive feedback from customers,” he said.

“The store has been really busy over the last few days with people coming to see what The Range is all about and grabbing some early Christmas deals.”

The new store has provided a boost to the local area, too, with the Stack car park as busy as it has been for years.

The Range is only the latest superstore to make its bed in the recently revived centre, which sat in a state of neglect for nearly five years.

The area’s regeneration, spearheaded by national retail firm TJ Morris, found great success over the summer after welcoming superstores Aldi and Home Bargains into the mix.

The Range has brought 150 new jobs into the community and hopes expand across Scotland in coming years.

“The opening of this store is proof that Lochee is once more open for business,” said Lochee councillor Tom Ferguson.

“The Stack is a much-needed retail commodity in this area and it means a lot to local residents to see it back up and running.”

Elsewhere in Lochee, organisers continue to fund new projects in a bid to breathe new life into the community.

The Stack’s recent success is currently being matched by a £2m investment on the High Street, a project which includes new shops moving into the area, the demolition of the Highgate Centre, and the redrawing of the local road map.

Source : Nash Riggins - EveningTelegraph.co.uk
www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/the-range-store-lures-15-000-shoppers-to-lochee-site-1.155761