
The ‘Unpacked’ test at the Waitrose in, Botley Road, Oxford has been well received by people, in Oxford and area, and so the experiment is being extended to Abingdon and Wallingford from November. Waitrose have closed off an area at the back of the Abingdon store for refitting. Features are likely to include a refillable zone and frozen pick and mix with the aim of using less packaging. In Oxford they also had a lot less packaging on fruit and veg, and paper packaging round flowers. People brought along their own reusable bags and containers, or brought some in the store.

At the same time there is a revamp of the cafe area.

Some areas in the car park have been closed to hold work plant. Work started on 29th September and will take 8 weeks.
Category Archives: Business
Stert Street changes

Mostly Books have a smart new front, now the scaffold has been taken away. They also have a new website.
Abingdon does very well with three book shops, two independent, and one national chain.

Over the road Thomas Merrifield are also having a redecoration.

Thomas Merrifield recently sold (stc) a house, a few doors up from Mostly Books, called The Knowl. It has a planning application for change of use ‘from Residential Care Home to HMO (house in multiple occupation) including internal alterations to partitions and reinstatement of the front garden.’
Empty and waiting …

The Monk on the Roundabout can be seen here. Behind him the Fairacres shopping centre is being demolished for redevelopment.

The AHF furniture store is the first to be torn apart by the demolition machines.

Homebase is empty and waiting …
The first half of the Fairacres Shopping centre was torn down and rebuilt a few years ago.

Over the road the Hilton Garden Inn reopened earlier this year after a major rebuild and is doing well . They provide a good place to stay and eat for people working at the Abingdon Business Park.
Post Office Closing – updated

McColl’s Newsagent and Post Office at Gainsborough Green will be closing in early October. A lot of people will be upset by this closure as it leaves South Abingdon without a post office, and the closest alternative is in town.

The notice in the window blames staff shortages for having to close at 5pm rather than later.
P.S. Didn’t get my facts right first time round so have updated this post.