A second village convenience store is set to close and rebrand within a month.
The Budgens in Abbots Langley’s full name is 'Sweeney’s Budgens Abbots Langley', but from the end of this month it will be known as 'Sweeney’s Abbots Langley' and have 'together with Morrisons' branding.
The High Street location will be shut from March 25 to 27 so that it can carry-out the changeover.
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Sweeney’s is an independent brand with two locations supplied by Budgens and Londis owner and wholesaler Booker Group. It will remain independent after the rebrand but will be supplied by Morrisons instead.
The announcement sparked confusion among locals because the former Martin’s store directly opposite became a Morrisons Daily on Friday (March 15). However, this is apparently just a coincidence.
The other Sweeney’s location, in Wendover, will also be switching to Morrisons co-branding.
Staff said the decisions was due to the ranges available from Booker becoming more condensed and geared towards forecourts rather than convenience stores.
Morrisons stock should allow the location to offer a wider range of cheaper products for its customers.
Over the road, Martin’s newsagents is changing because Morrisons purchased the brands owners, McColls Retail Group in 2022 after the company entered voluntary administration.
In November that year it began closing McColls stores down or converting them into Morrisons Daily locations, and the business is currently doing the same for Martin’s.
The Martin’s store in Abbots Langley High Street shut on Tuesday (February 5), before reopening as a Morrisons Daily.
Because Morrisons acquired McColls Retail Group wholesale, the Abbots Langley location’s manager and staff will stay the same as they had been under the Martin’s name.
As a Morrisons Daily, there is a wider variety of food and less of a focus on newspapers and magazines, but it promises customers are still able to do everything they had before.
The Morrisons website lists the following additional services as being available at the store: Amazon Locker, Amazon Parcels, Collect Plus, Home News Delivery, Iced Drinks, Just Eat, National Lottery, and PayPoint.
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