Tesco’s Chatham town centre store closes its doors for the last time today

The supermarket in The Brook will cease to trade at 5pm.

Store manager Gerry Byrne said: “My colleagues and I are proud to have known and served so many great people from Chatham and the surrounding area. We’re sad to be leaving, and we wish the local community all the best for the future.”

Medway Council is the freeholder of the site, and has been for many years. Tesco is now in the process of trying to find another retailer to move in.

Rumours circulating online that the building will be torn down and used for land for housing were denied by the council.

Meanwhile, Morrisons has come to the rescue of shoppers who will no longer be able to redeem vouchers at the Tesco store.

From now until Sunday, April 12, the Princes Avenue store in Walderslade, will be accepting Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

Morrisons store manager Alec Reader said: “A number of residents have told us they would find it difficult to get to another Tesco store to redeem their vouchers so we came up with the idea of accepting them at our store so they wouldn’t lose out.”

Customers will be able to redeem a maximum of £5 in Tesco Clubcard vouchers as part of a £40 minimum value shop at the Princes Avenue store.

This only applies to Clubcard vouchers that are of cash equivalent and shoppers will need to present a Morrisons Match & More card as part of the transaction.

The Tesco closure follows news that it scrapped plans to expand its Strood store and that Sainsbury’s has decided to pull out of building on Medway City Estate.

But work is continuing on the Asda store, due to open in October as part of the redevelopment of Chatham Docks.

The plans include 950 homes, a petrol station and Medway University Technical College as well as the 73,000 sq ft supermarket.

The superstore will create about 450 new jobs and a significant amount of highway and environmental works are also involved in the development.