There have been two recent news stories about Northcourt Budgens. The post office in the Budgens at Northcourt Road, Abingdon, has recently had a revamp and now opens for longer, and provides more services.

The other story appeared in the Abingdon Streetlife forum, as well as a retail trends website, called IGD Retail Analysis. The Co-op has acquired 15 Budgens stores from Booker. The stores are located in Bedgrove, Bradford-on-Avon, Byfleet, Chalfont St Peter, Crouch End, East Barnet, Fakenham, Fulham, Grange Park, Northcourt, Parsons Green, Ripley, Sandy, Tysoe Street and Walton on the Hill.

Steve Murrells, chief executive, of retail at The Co-operative Food, said “Co-op Food continues to go from strength to strength, with a clear strategy that focuses on the growing convenience store market”, and intends to acquire 100 stores this year.

Meanwhile the large ex Co-op in Bury Street is still empty. It closed in May 2015 as the Co-op rationalised its retail outlets in Abingdon town centre.

Smarts Fish and Chips have reopened in the town centre after a closure for refurbishment that lasted several months.

The large new unit in Bury Street is being fitted out for Superdrug to move in next to Boots. It has been empty since being built during 2013.

Almost ten years ago this blog reported, in July 2006, that the price of petrol was at a high of 99.9p a litre. Back then it was on an upward trend about to go above £1.00 for the first time. Ten years on and the price is back down at 99.9p a litre again at Tesco .

Over the road at Fairacres Trading Estate the Homebase chain have been sold to Westfarmers, an Australia’s hardware chain that runs Bunnings Warehouses. Homebase store will be rebranded with the Bunnings name in three to five years time.

On Saturday there was an opening event at Pandora. They really opened at the busy time before Christmas.

So they waited until now to have such a launch event. The Pandora Abingdon Facebook page has more.