THE budget supermarket Lidl has now opened its doors in Ringwood after months of development.

Customers gathered in the foyer from 7am until the doors were officially opened at 8am on Thursday by the store manager Zeki Meydan.

He had gathered with other members of staff and Ringwood dignitaries to unveil the supermarket with a photoshoot, complete with a ribbon and mock-scissors, before customers trickled into the large shop on Christchurch Road.

Jennifer James, 47, and Allyson Pidgley, 58, both of Thorney Hill near Bransgore, were the first of the shop's consumers.

"We thought we'd get here early because we thought there would be a queue," Ms James said. "The early bird catches the early worm."

Both women normally shop at the Christchurch store but said they were drawn to the new shop at Forest Gate Business Park because of its bakery.

"I think some of the brands are a lot cheaper here so that works out well for families on lower incomes," Ms James added. "The products are good value for money and there is a good choice."

Mr Meydan told the Daily Echo he was "very excited" to be opening the store doors for the first time, having worked at other locations for the company for 11 years.

He said: "It has been lots of work coming to this place but it's a pleasant place for our customers. Lots of hard work and tears have gone into this but we have finally achieved what we set out to do."

The Mayor of Ringwood, councillor Tim Ward, said he was thrilled the doors had finally opened to a much-awaited new supermarket for the town.

"I think it's going to be very popular," he said. "One of the reasons we supported it was because they mainly sell their own brands which meant that there was a different competition to existing supermarkets. I think it's a lovely space."

Lidl will be offering customers the chance to sample some of its products throughout the day. For the first week of trading, customers will be able to enjoy 50 per cent off selected fruit and veg and deals on selected non-food products, including a fruit and vegetable juicer, high chair and toaster.

The new supermarket forms part of the company’s ongoing expansion and regeneration plans in the UK, which will see its existing store portfolio of 640 stores increase to up to 1,500.

The 2,432m² store in Ringwood has created 40 new jobs and boasts facilities including an in-store bakery, longer-style tills with dual packing facilities, customer toilets, baby changing facilities, and ample parking for both cars and bicycles.

The store says fully glass-fronted façade maximises natural daylight entering the building, while sensor controlled exterior sun blinds automatically operate to mitigate the effects of unwanted heat from solar gain.

Lidl UK’s regional property director, Oliver McGuinness, said: “We would like to thank all those who have played a part in bringing this new Lidl store to Ringwood. It is wonderful for us to be able to create more jobs and investment opportunities in the area, and we can’t wait to start serving our multi-award winning products to the local community.”