The blaze was reportedly caused by a deep-frying machine in the store’s cafe. Close to 50 firefighters helped douse the fire out. Fortunately, there were no lives lost or major injuries. But unfortunately, this happened a month before the much-awaited holiday season. Since the company cannot completely reconstruct the damaged area before Christmas, it has decided to come up with a temporary supermarket instead and serve its customers during the festive season.
The temporary place would be built across a land area of 10,000 square feet, with enough stock for weekly shopping, along with Christmas products. How the space would end up looking hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it would certainly not be drastically different from how regular Morrisons outlets look.
The supermarket chain stated the temporary outlet would have fridges, signage, freezers, checkouts, and pretty much everything buyers have come to expect from the brand over the years. The goal is to not make the store look like a makeshift arrangement and provide a shopping experience that’s typical of Morrisons.
The retail firm is working closely with Hythe District Council and Folkestone and will seek planning permission to erect the store. It would get into talks with the council and its buyers about plans for rebuilding the damaged space. An alcohol license would also be applied for. The new temporary stores will be up and ready for consumers within a few weeks, which should be well before the holiday season arrives.
Morrisons has always been known for its dedication and commitment toward its customers. The temporary space is an example of the same. Since the fire, Morrisons introduced a short-term bus service so that its regular customers could be directed to the Dover store, until the temporary outlet is built, and the primary store is completely renovated. Morrisons, in association with Hythe District Council and Folkestone, is doing everything it possibly could to expedite the temporary store planning process.
Morrisons is a valuable entity, both as a supermarket for thousands of shoppers and a local employer. The Hythe District Council is privy to this reputation of Morrisons and therefore wants to support the brand in all ways possible. Besides the news that a temporary store will be set up before Christmas, perhaps the most heartening takeaway from this is that no Morrisons staff would lose their job.
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