Supermarket Wars: The big chains targeting Southport this year as they challenge Tesco

Supermarket wars have broken out in the Southport area with the biggest chains in the UK fighting it out to compete for the town’s multi-million pound market. 

Tesco has long held the dominant position locally with an incredible 11 stores here – including the huge Tesco Extra store on Town Lane in Kew, by far the biggest supermarket in town, with a turnover far ahead of any of its competitors. 

But that is about to change. 

Tesco is facing huge challenges to its dominance this year from a number of rivals, which are vowing to build new sites from big rival superstores to smaller convenience stores. 

Those eyeing Southport include: Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Aldi, Asda, Co-Op and Spar. 

The biggest new development is the new 7,492 sq m Sainsbury’s superstore at Meols Cop retail park which will create 160 new jobs. 

Some of the budget chains could pose the biggest threat, with Aldi estimated to take second and third spots for turnover in Southport within three years, while Lidl is building a 1,900 sq m store in Crossens in a development which will see 30 new jobs. 

A report by Nexus Planning (‘Appraisal of Retail and Town Centre Issues’) on behalf of Sefton Council published in March 2022 includes the ‘assumed turnover’ for 2026 of major supermarkets in the Southport area: 

1 – Tesco Extra, Town Lane, Kew – £52 million 

2 – Aldi, Birkdale – £39.62 million 

3 – Aldi, Meols Cop – £38.95 million 

4 – Morrisons, Winter Gardens – £32.9 million 

5 – Asda, Central 12 – £30.5 million 

6 – Sainsbury’s Gt George’s Place – £14.1 million 

7 – Lidl, Virginia Street – £9.1 million 

8 – M&S Foodhall, Chapel Street – £1.7 million 

9 – Tesco Express, Chapel Street – £1.2 million 

It shows why Tesco is being hunted down. 

Tesco has long been the top dog in Southport, with an almost unrivalled dominance. 

A headline on the front of the Southport Visiter a few years ago proclaimed ‘Tesco Town’ due to the growing number of Tesco owned stores here. 

Southport’s biggest supermarket, by some distance, is the Tesco superstore on Town Lane in Kew. But the firm also has three stores in the Southport town centre area alone (Chapel Street, Eastbank Street and Albert Road) with further stores on Preston New Road (Churchtown), Liverpool Road (Birkdale), and Station Road (Ainsdale). 

Did you know Tesco also owns One Stop? They have stores on: Belmont Street, Bispham Road (High Park), Rufford Road (Crossens) and Liverpool Road (Woodvale). 

Until recently, Tesco even owned Dobbies Garden Centre in Southport. 

Tesco wants to keep it that way. The firm has fought against new proposals by Sainsbury’s and Lidl. arguing to Sefton Council that both schemes should be refused. 

In a letter to the council by MRPP on behalf of Tesco, regarding the Lidl scheme in Crossens, it said: “The proposed development is highly likely to have a significant adverse impact on the town centre from cumulative impacts. 

“The limited line Lidl format is unsustainable in transport terms. It relies on shoppers using other existing stores to complete their shopping trip. The application location is such that the proposal would increase the number of trips, travel and mileage undertaken.” 

It is no surprise they are being territorial. Convenience shopping in Southport premises is growingly lucrative. 

According to the most recent Southport Retail Health Check compiled by planning consultants Nexus, the level of floor space taken up by convenience businesses in Southport town centre has risen from 10.5% in 2011 to 11.3% in 2015 to 31.9% in 2019. 

Here are some of the new supermarket developments coming to Southport in 2023: 

1 – Sainsbury’s 

The former Homebase store at Meols Cop retail park is being demolished to make way for a new Sainsburys superstore. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

Now they finally have planning permission after a long drawn-out process, Sainsbury’s is losing little time in creating the second biggest superstore in Southport. 

Building work is progressing fast on the new 7,492 sq. m store and four-pump petrol filling station at Meols Cop retail park which will open its doors this year. 

The new supermarket, at Meols Cop retail park, will see the creation of 160 new jobs. 

The former Homebase store and two adjacent units in Blowick have now been demolished with the steel frames for the new store now constructed. 

It has been a long drawn out saga with the first planning application for a new Sainsbury’s being submitted to Sefton Council in October 2014. The Homebase site has been empty since it closed in 2017.

Sainsbury’s and landlord UBS believe the superstore will create jobs, give a much-needed boost to the retail park and provide greater choice for shoppers. 

2 – Lidl 

Lidl is proposing to build a new supermarket on Marine Drive in Southport

Proposals for a new 1,900 sq m Lidl supermarket alongside eight individual employment units in Southport have been approved by Sefton Council. 

The new scheme will be built on land at Marine Drive / Crossens Way creating 90 new jobs. 

The development would create 30 jobs at Lidl and up to 60 at the new business units. 

Lidl already operates a store on Virginia Street on the edge of Southport town centre. 

The firm said: “Lidl has had a requirement to deliver a new store to serve the residential areas in northern Southport for many years.

3 – Aldi 

Aldi is eager to build a new supermarket on Formby Bypass

Aldi has grown its presence in the Southport area in recent years. 

Its original Southport store at Meols Cop retail park is estimated to have the third biggest supermarket turnover in town by 2026, behind its store on Liverpool Road in Birkdale, which opened in 2018. 

Last year Aldi opened its new superstore on Liverpool Road in Tarleton, creating 35 new jobs. 

In January this year it revealed plans to build a new supermarket off Formby Bypass. 

The award-winning discount food retailer has identified a suitable brownfield site and is proposing to transform the land to provide a new food store.

4 – Asda 

The new Asda Express store in Sutton Coldfield (Photo by Asda)

Asda already operates its busy superstore at Central 12 retail park in Southport. 

Now it is proposing to add to that presence, with a new 24-hour Asda store that will open on the edge of Southport town centre. 

The new facility will be built at 3A Scarisbrick New Road, near the junction with Virginia Street, after the demolition and decommissioning of the current ‘under-performing’ BP Petrol Filling Station and Spar shop. 

It would be owned by the Issa’ brothers’ EG Group, creating eight new full-time jobs. 

The new store will be over three times as large as the existing Spar store on site, a growth from 93m² to 350m². 

5 – Co-Op 

Work takes place to demolish The George pub in Southport and replace it with a new Co-Op convenience store. Photo by Martin Rowe

The firm which has a large supermarket on Fylde Road in Marshside is looking to add to its portfolio with additional convenience stores. 

Co-Op has a current tactic of targeting failing pubs before converting the sites, such as the former New Fleetwood pub in Banks and the former The George pub on Duke Street in Southport. 

Last orders for local pubs means new opportunities for Co-Op. 

6 – Morrisons 

Morrisons supermarket in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

Morrisons already has one of the most lucrative stores in town, with its premises at Winter Gardens heading for an £32.9 million turnover in 2026 – the fourth largest in town. 

In the past couple of years it has been quietly expanding its convenience portfolio in Southport, converting the former McColls newsagents on Marshside Road in Marshside and Queens Road near Hesketh Park. 

7 – SPAR 

The proposed new SPAR store on Benthams Way in Halsall

SPAR is not resting on its laurels either. 

The firm already operates sites in Churchtown, Birkdale Village, High Park, Kew and Roe Lane. 

In January this year SPAR also submitted proposals for a new SPAR convenience store on the border between Halsall and Birkdale, creating 30 new jobs. 

The new shop would be built on a field at the junction of Moss Road and Benthams Way, near to Christ The King Catholic High School. 

A planning application has been submitted to West Lancashire Borough Council. 

The new 586 sqm SPAR would be open between 6am and 11pm, seven days a week including Sundays and Bank Holidays. 

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