Morrisons buys Blockbuster branches and expands in south

SUPERMARKET Morrisons has bought 49 stores from failed DVD and games rental chain Blockbuster as it steps up plans to expand its convenience business.

The deal will not prevent any of the job cuts already announced by Blockbuster administrators Deloitte, but Morrisons said it hopes to create around 1,000 jobs as it reopens the shops as convenience stores.

The UK's fourth-biggest grocer also announced the rebranding of its M Local convenience business to Morrisons M local.

Today's announcement - for an undisclosed sum - follows the recent acquisition of seven stores from collapsed camera retailer Jessops as Morrisons takes advantage of quick access to high street locations to build up its convenience chain.

Many of the branches will be in the south of England. Morrisons is accelerating expansion plans after struggling to compete because of its small number of convenience stores, as well as a lack of grocery delivery service.

Comments(25)

Lord Spring says...
5:01pm Sun 17 Feb 13

I bet they never bought the Holdenhurst Road Blockbusters.

twynham says...
6:36pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Bargates rather than Stoney Lane or MEXE then?

OKANAGAN 1 says...
7:17pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Look on the bright side, at least they are opening the stores/shops up again and giving people jobs. Blockbusters have closed here in BC, and the local one now has a business that has kitchen appliances, t.v's etc. Good for them.

BIGTONE says...
7:32pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Morrisons is accelerating expansion plans after struggling to compete because of its small number of convenience stores.......

Not that long ago they had one in Parkstone when Safeways went.
That didn't last long.

Redgolfer says...
7:56pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Lord Spring wrote:
I bet they never bought the Holdenhurst Road Blockbusters.
Would be NICE, think of the competition between Tesco, Asda and Morrison, not to mention Aldi all in Holdenhurst Road, oh yes and Co-op, great if they have, LOL

MJD says...
7:57pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Hope we get one in Hamworthy.

Hessenford says...
8:12pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Good on Morrisons, bit more competition in the area.

georgina dean says...
8:26pm Sun 17 Feb 13

have everything crossed that they come to Bournemouth at last...but no doubt Tesco (who have swamped our town) will infiltrate the decision....Christch
urch were...so come on bournemouth give us want we want....a really competitive supermarket...giving good value....save me a load of petrol.............

awsokend says...
9:21pm Sun 17 Feb 13

You have got too many supermarkets already

You need shelters for the homeless

Poole and Bournmouth you need beds for homeless
not more findus outlets

get a grip..

Phixer says...
6:44am Mon 18 Feb 13

awsokend wrote:
You have got too many supermarkets already

You need shelters for the homeless

Poole and Bournmouth you need beds for homeless
not more findus outlets

get a grip..
Are you going to volunteer to be the person who has to sleep in the shop window?

Are you digging into your pockets to fund these beds?

No?? Do you have any sensible comments to make?

What Bournemouth does need is serious competetion for the Tesco domination.

l'anglais says...
7:55am Mon 18 Feb 13

Somewhere else to get disgustingly mass produced tasteless food.

I won't be galloping to get the trots.

awsokend says...
8:17am Mon 18 Feb 13

Phixer wrote:
awsokend wrote:
You have got too many supermarkets already

You need shelters for the homeless

Poole and Bournmouth you need beds for homeless
not more findus outlets

get a grip..
Are you going to volunteer to be the person who has to sleep in the shop window?

Are you digging into your pockets to fund these beds?

No?? Do you have any sensible comments to make?

What Bournemouth does need is serious competetion for the Tesco domination.
Homeless ones can now sit in shop windows,watching the mouthy ones pass by carry their triple bypass offal back to their bed sits.

bundyse says...
8:24am Mon 18 Feb 13

I hope the Holdenhurst branch is turned back into the original 2/3 shops it was before Blockbuster took over. we don't need a Morrisons there,

Redgolfer says...
8:33am Mon 18 Feb 13

bundyse wrote:
I hope the Holdenhurst branch is turned back into the original 2/3 shops it was before Blockbuster took over. we don't need a Morrisons there,
Speak for yourself and awsokend you forgot to mention the fact that we have to go to WORK most of the day or night.

bundyse says...
9:13am Mon 18 Feb 13

Redgolfer wrote:
bundyse wrote:
I hope the Holdenhurst branch is turned back into the original 2/3 shops it was before Blockbuster took over. we don't need a Morrisons there,
Speak for yourself and awsokend you forgot to mention the fact that we have to go to WORK most of the day or night.
Explain???
The Holdenhurst road branch has Tesco, Coop, Aldi, Premier Store within 5 mins walk, Asda is 10 mins down the road.
There will be no parking area for Morrison as the side Road is nearly always full.
Local shops would be better for the site.

awsokend says...
9:21am Mon 18 Feb 13

Or a 365 day soup Kitchen
bring your own basin.

awsokend says...
9:27am Mon 18 Feb 13

parking is not a problem
they can walk on their feet you know doh.

CB1985 says...
10:36am Mon 18 Feb 13

There's a 'To Let; Retail A3' sign above Blockbusters on Holdenhurst Road when I was there Friday night.

Dunno if A3 means keeping that retail unit the same size or not.

BournemouthMum says...
10:39am Mon 18 Feb 13

Lord Spring wrote:
I bet they never bought the Holdenhurst Road Blockbusters.
I wish they would. That would hurt Tesco who never gave a thought to the small convenience store next door to them when they took over the site.

bundyse says...
11:09am Mon 18 Feb 13

BournemouthMum wrote:
Lord Spring wrote:
I bet they never bought the Holdenhurst Road Blockbusters.
I wish they would. That would hurt Tesco who never gave a thought to the small convenience store next door to them when they took over the site.
opening a Morrison store there would be the final nail to the small convenience store you mentioned, and Tesco would still carry on trading.

Lord Spring says...
11:42am Mon 18 Feb 13

bundyse wrote:
BournemouthMum wrote:
Lord Spring wrote:
I bet they never bought the Holdenhurst Road Blockbusters.
I wish they would. That would hurt Tesco who never gave a thought to the small convenience store next door to them when they took over the site.
opening a Morrison store there would be the final nail to the small convenience store you mentioned, and Tesco would still carry on trading.
Tesco caused Aldi to double their Christmas take and 37% up on take since February last year when Tesco opened.
Thank you Tesco for the Cash Machine most useful when shopping at Aldi
If only Wetherspoons would buy it off Tescos and turn it into a pub ideal place for one.

Lord Spring says...
11:46am Mon 18 Feb 13

CB1985 wrote:
There's a 'To Let; Retail A3' sign above Blockbusters on Holdenhurst Road when I was there Friday night.

Dunno if A3 means keeping that retail unit the same size or not.
A3 means type of usage not size

CB1985 says...
11:56am Mon 18 Feb 13

Lord Spring wrote:
CB1985 wrote:
There's a 'To Let; Retail A3' sign above Blockbusters on Holdenhurst Road when I was there Friday night.

Dunno if A3 means keeping that retail unit the same size or not.
A3 means type of usage not size
Cheers for clearing that up, have seen stories in the past of small businesses not being able to use premises because of that whole A3 etc. Not sure what it would mean for that part of Holdenhurst Road.

Redgolfer says...
1:16pm Mon 18 Feb 13

bundyse wrote:
BournemouthMum wrote:
Lord Spring wrote:
I bet they never bought the Holdenhurst Road Blockbusters.
I wish they would. That would hurt Tesco who never gave a thought to the small convenience store next door to them when they took over the site.
opening a Morrison store there would be the final nail to the small convenience store you mentioned, and Tesco would still carry on trading.
The Convenience store in Question, the staff there were rude using on more than one occasion sexual innuendos to my wife when going in to the shop, we complained and stopped going there, hopefully they will not be there much longer.

Lord Spring says...
3:43pm Mon 18 Feb 13

Redgolfer wrote:
bundyse wrote:
BournemouthMum wrote:
Lord Spring wrote:
I bet they never bought the Holdenhurst Road Blockbusters.
I wish they would. That would hurt Tesco who never gave a thought to the small convenience store next door to them when they took over the site.
opening a Morrison store there would be the final nail to the small convenience store you mentioned, and Tesco would still carry on trading.
The Convenience store in Question, the staff there were rude using on more than one occasion sexual innuendos to my wife when going in to the shop, we complained and stopped going there, hopefully they will not be there much longer.
I want them to stay that is where I drop My Hermes parcels off cheaper than Royal Mail.

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