Weymouth Bid Manager backs opening of The Range
Dawn Rondeau is welcoming the 'thriving retailer'
The Range will open their new store in Weymouth Town centre this morning (9am).
It replaces the former Debenhams store which closed earlier this year.
It's bringing 80 new jobs to the town including a selection of full and part time roles from store to Store to Department Managers and Warehouse Supervisors to Retail Assistants.
Weymouth Bid say it's great that a retailer of this magnitude is coming to Weymouth.
Operations Manager Dawn Rondeau thinks it'll create a vibrancy in the town.
She told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"We now have a mix of great independents in places like St Albans Street and Bond Street as well as larger retailers so it's a great centre for visitors and locals alike.
"I hope for people the previous employees of Debenhams are being re-employed people that have lost their jobs.
There are hopes that it will benefit the local economy by increasing visitor numbers and bringing people from the outskirts of the town.
Dawn says it will service the local community:
"Not only in employment but ensuring people come here as a destination for shopping.
"It's in the centre of the town and will help draw shoppers in to the town centre and at a time of such economic challenge.
"It's providing employment as well as much needed life to the town both for the visitors and the locals alike."
In December, Debenhams announced 124 store closures which put nearly 12,000 jobs across the UK at risk.
The Weymouth store on New Bond Street didn't reopen in the New Year.
Shortly after The Range unveiled plans to move in to the building in the first week of January.
Dawn hopes the opening of a new major retailer will encourage other brands and independent businesses owners to fill the other empty retail spaces in the town.
"At least we don't have an empty building, when you go to some big towns they have large premises such as that building that are empty. We've been so blessed that somebody like the range is filling that and we don't have an empty space.
"From the point of view of the bid, we are grateful that The Range is bringing some jobs and footfall to the town which will create a buzz in the community as a whole.
"I think we have to be aware that people such as the range who have done their research and recognised that Weymouth is a great place to have a store.
"Hopefully this will start a trend of other large multiples and other retailers looking at it and saying well if people such as the range have done their market research and coming to Weymouth, then maybe we should too."