The new Premier Inn, being built next to the Tesco Extra, has gone up fast since my last visit and will have 86 rooms.

In 2018 the Abingdon Oxford hotel became the Hilton Garden Inn and more than doubled in size with 84 new rooms in the four-story extension. So between them, that is an extra 170 hotel rooms since 2017.

The older, smaller Premier Inn is still there on Marcham Road, and I have not heard any news about it changing use.

The hotel business sector took a large dip in trade in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid pandemic but is nearly back to normal trading levels according to Statista.

The waste collectors have had time off over Christmas, and as Christmas creates a lot of extra waste, they are working on Saturdays for three weeks to catch up.

There is also the usual range of post-Christmas Sales as seasonal stock is cleared in many shops.

The post-Christmas sales are a chance to buy Christmas Trees at 50% off.

Cards are also 50% off. (With the postal strikes and no local Scouts post, card sales are probably lower this year.)

2022 was the year the government raised restrictions left over from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the economy was hit by the energy price fluctuations caused by the war in Ukraine and sanctions.
Press on Changes in 2022 for a bigger (pdf) map version showing the changes.

Key:
Green is a vacant shop at the start of the year and is now occupied.
Yellow means a change of business.
Red is a vacant shop occupied at the start of the year.

Change in 2007 ( 6 green, 5 yellow, 10 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2008 ( 10 green, 8 yellow, 13 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2009 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2010 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 4
Change in 2011 ( 2 green, 8 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2012 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 1
Change in 2013 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2014 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2015 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2016 ( 10 green, 5 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 5
Change in 2017 ( 3 green, 6 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2018 ( 7 green, 6 yellow, 4 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2019 ( 4 green, 3 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2020 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 8 red) – Net Loss 2
Change in 2021 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 8 red) – Net Loss 2
Change in 2022 ( 4 green, 2 yellow, 5 red) – Net Loss 1

Welcome to:

Gents Cut

Oxford Vapours

The Cowshed

The Shed

The Therapy Room

Goodbye to:
Added Ingredients
Andrews
Children’s Air Ambulance
Halifax
Hedges
PB Conway

Change to business in same premises
Al Mulino became Flaming Grill

(let me know of any mistakes in this annual roundup)

At 8 am on 15th December, the new store opened, and when I got there an hour later, the car park was almost full.

The new junction means that cars going to Abingdon must turn right and block bikes on the existing cycleway.

I went by bike and found the bike stands tucked away in the furthest corner. Some cyclists left their bikes near the entrance as a result.

Inside was bright and spacious. There was no annoying music, just trolleys clinking and people chatting. The shelves were all full, and no sign of any supermarket shortages. Shelves were tidy, and some staff tidied them even more.

The new store loves its posters and slogans. Repeated at regular intervals were downward pointing arrows with the words ‘Like super low prices – you’ll like AIdi‘. There was also ‘Make Christmas Amazing for everybody‘, ‘Amazing quality – Amazing prices‘, ‘Bakery – The best thing since sliced bread‘. The long banks of chiller cabinets said, ‘Save enough ‎CO2 per year to fill 200 double-decker buses’ That was ‘fill 3 hot air balloons’ further along.

‘Special Buys’ were in the central aisles with ‘When they are gone, they are gone‘. These were products like Christmas door mats, cushions with Christmas elves, a game called Blingo, toasters and kettles.

There were unfamiliar brands that sounded half familiar such as chocolate biscuits called ‘seal bars’ and ‘cart wheels’.

At the end of the fruit and veg aisle, you could get six items at a special price, the so-called ‘Super 6.’ This week, they were cos lettuce, broccoli, packs of easy peelers, roasting potatoes, lemons and red apples.