LAUNCH day arrived for the first new Co-op branch to be built in Barrow for more than two decades.

Opening it’s doors for the first time yesterday, shoppers in the area have shown great delight at what the new store has to offer.

The store on Abbey Road, in the grounds of the former Lisdoonie Hotel, came after a £670,000 investment by the convenience retailer, creating a new 2,800 sq ft Co-op store on Abbey Road.

The store runs on 100 per cent renewable electricity and has replaced the original store which was located just one mile away on Oxford Street.

The birth of the larger store has also meant that new jobs have been created locally.

Excited to welcome the community into the store, Mark Ducker, the new Co-op Abbey Road store manager, said: “This is the first new Co-op store in the Barrow area for over two decades. It’ll run on renewable energy and support scores of community groups.

“We’ve already had a great reaction from our customers and members about our new wide range of fresh food.

“It’s great to be able to expand our store team too as we welcome three new colleagues to the fold.”

The new store boasts free parking spaces for up to 12 vehicles - as well as electric charging points.

There is also a variety of hot food, a bakery and even a Costa Coffee Express point alongside a focus on fresh, healthy produce, award winning wines, ready meals and pizzas.

For those with dietary requirements, or just want to shop ethically, the store has a wide range of free-from and vegan products and Fairtrade products, as well as food-to-go and everyday essentials.

Hawcoat councillor Alan Pemberton said: “Everything seems to be running smoothly.

“It’s a good asset to the area and it’s nice to see that they are coping and investing in the town, while ploughing some capital investment into the area.

“It creates more employment and modernising the building.

"I think that it is an excellent asset to the area and the town in general.”