Kettering town centre discount store set to close this week - but new tenant already lined up
A bargain store in Kettering is set to close its doors, but the unit won’t stay empty for long.
The shutters will go down on D&J Discount Store in Gold Street for the final time on Friday (July 19), almost four years after the business opened and promised to ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’.
But butcher Jamie Cooper, who opened the store with caterer Darren Garley before later signing over his half of the business to him, has now taken on the unit’s lease.
He will be moving his African spice shop, which is currently next to his butcher shop, into the D&J Discount Store unit with hopes it will open on October 1.
Jamie said: "Everything that’s in there (the spice shop) we’re going to times by four and make it bigger and better.
"I’m going to turn it into my big African shop.”
When D&J Discount Store opened they promised ‘bargains galore’ through a cash and carry style outlet, offering items at knockdown prices to entice shoppers.
In 2022 they became involved in bargain wars when national discount retailer Poundstretcher moved into the unit next door.
But, despite their best efforts in a tough economic environment, the independent Kettering discount store is now set to close.
Butcher Jamie said he is going ‘back to basics’ rather than opening new stores and that he will also be closing his Little Eats cafe in the Newlands Shopping Centre at the end of the month.
He plans to expand his butcher shop into the current spice shop site next door and said staff will be moved to new roles with no jobs lost.
He added: "We are going to redesign it and make it better. It’s going to be awesome.”