TESCO has said that the Tesco Metro on Victoria Viaduct in Carlisle City Centre is to remain open “for the foreseeable future.”

In July 2022 the company said that they had taken the ‘difficult’ decision to close the store and that they were looking for another site in the city to open an ‘express’ style shop.

The store is one of only a few places to get groceries in the city centre and at the time news of the closure came as a blow to those who use the store regularly, as well as the staff who faced uncertainty in the current financial climate.

However, after confirming the site would not close before Christmas, Tesco has now confirmed that the store will remain open whilst they ‘actively’ look for a site in the city.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We remain committed to Carlisle and we are actively looking for an alternative site for the store.

"In the meantime, we will keep the store open for the foreseeable future.

“Our priority remains supporting colleagues and we will keep the local community updated as soon as our plans progress.”

The news is a boost to the high street after a difficult three years containing both the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis which have affected footfall and sales in the city centre.

The prominent ‘Occasions’ shop in Carlisle city centre is to close down next month and other high-profile shops have also closed their doors in the city over the past year.

Commenting at the time, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce managing director, Suzanne Caldwell said “it’s likely that a number of other retailers are looking at how and if they can continue.”

However, despite closures and difficult economic circumstances, Heron Foods said they would be opening a store in Carlisle next month and the announcement that the Victoria Viaduct Tesco Metro would be staying open for the ‘foreseeable future’ provides a much needed boost to Carlisle’s high street.

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