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Sainsbury’s confirms it is to close Whitgift Centre store

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CROYDON IN CRISIS: Supermarket chain says it was a ‘difficult decision’ to close flagship shop – but at least they have five higher-profit ‘Local’ shops nearby. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES

‘Difficult decision’: Sainsbury’s says the closure came after a routine review of its estate

Britain’s second-largest chain of supermarkets has admitted that it can no longer justify running a branch in Croydon’s Whitgift Centre.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s has confirmed Inside Croydon’s exclusive report that it is to close its Whitgift Centre store.

This website understands that the final day’s trading will be in September, the closure following what sources at the supermarket chain say was a regular “review of our property estate” and based on “a range of factors”.

Sainsbury’s has been an ever-present at the Whitgift Centre since 1969. When it opened 54 years ago, it was the chain’s biggest supermarket in the country.

But the Whitgift Centre has been blighted by more than a decade of neglect and uncertainty over future development plans from Westfield, who were brought into Croydon in 2012 by the then landowners, the Whitgift Foundation.

Westfield have produced two separate planning applications for a chunk of the town centre that includes the Whitgift Centre and Centrale, on the other side of North End. The second scheme was passed following a public inquiry conducted by the Planning Inspector, and saw Croydon Council, as the local planning authority, invest huge amounts of time, money and reputational capital in delivering a Compulsory Purchase Order for the developers that has never been actioned.

After the two schemes stalled, Westfield more recently bought out Centrale owners Hammerson, while they have also been ordered to pay a fine of £5million by the council for their slow progress.

Westfield have promised to draw up a “masterplan” for the area (another one), before the end of this year.

But for existing traders, such as Sainsbury’s, the run-down Whitgift Centre has become an off-putting place for potential customers, and footfall has failed to recover since the covid pandemic.

Council sources fear that Sainsbury’s closure will accelerate what has until now been a steady exodus of store operators, as the number of customers visiting declines ever more.

As iC reported yesterday, a large part of Sainsbury’s decision is based on their bottom-line: they have five of their “Local” stores within a mile or so of the Whitgift Centre, all of which offer customers convenience store opening times, but at higher prices.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told Inside Croydon: “We are currently talking to our colleagues at our Central Croydon superstore in the Whitgift Centre, which we have made the difficult decision to close.

“We understand this will be an unsettling time for those affected and we are supporting them in every way we can. This includes exploring alternative roles for colleagues within Sainsbury’s.

“Customers will continue to be able to shop with us at a number of nearby Sainsbury’s stores, including our West Croydon Station Local, George Streel Local and Croydon High Street Local stores.

“The decision to close a store is never taken lightly.”


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