A national DIY chain and supermarket giant are set to open at a Sunderland industrial estate.
Aldi and Wickes have both announced new stores will be opening at the
Wickes will be relocating from its current base on Wessington Way to a new 25,000 sq ft store, featuring an 'outdoor project centre', service yard and 64 car parking spaces.
Work is expected to start early February 2020, with the store set to open to the public in the autumn.
Aldi will be opening a new 1,315 sqm food store, featuring onsite car and cycle parking.
The businesses will join KFC, which opened a restaurant on the industrial estate last year, and a coffee drive-thru is expected to be completed in the coming months.
A spokesperson for Wickes commented: “We’re excited to unveil plans to open our new site n Sunderland.
“Unlike our current premises which are outdated and run down, our new store will be modern, energy efficient and feature a layout much more suited to our needs.
"It will continue to offer local tradespeople, DIY enthusiasts and those looking to make home improvements a large product range, as well as inspirational room sets across both kitchens and bathrooms.
"We’ll also have a dedicated outdoor retail area, selling everything needed to complete small and large landscaping projects.
"We look forward to showing the neighbouring community our new offering and will be sharing further details closer to the launch in 2020.”
A spokesperson for Aldi said: "We want to provide Sunderland with a new purpose-built food store that meets the high expectations of our customers and are excited to be part of the wider regeneration of the local area.”
The new retail development is part of a multi-million pound investment by UK Land Estates, the largest commercial property investment and development company in the North East.
Tim Witty, development director at UK Land Estates, said: “These new stores are another positive step in the redevelopment of this formerly derelict site – bringing new jobs and a much-needed boost to the local economy.
“UK Land Estates has worked closely with Wickes, Aldi and KFC to create a high-quality development that offers major brands to the residents in the area.
“Pennywell Industrial Estate is just one part of UK Land Estates’ extensive portfolio of land and we will continue to develop new and existing properties to meet the changing needs and demands of the market.”
