Customers have welcomed the opening of a new Aldi supermarket in Abingdon.
There was a queue before the 8am ribbon cutting as customers braved the freezing weather to get their complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables from the chain's Super 6 range.
The car park at the store off Wootton Road was almost full by about 8.30am.
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Shoppers said they were impressed by the new discount store.
Sally Beer, who lives close to the store, said: "I was very impressed.
"My first impression when I walked in was that it was a really good spacious store.
"The prices were not quite as cheap as I would have liked."
Chloe Louise McCarron, 23, visited with her partner Charlie Roberts and 10-month-old son Carter Roberts.
She said: "I think it's lush - there is so much variety and I did not expect it to be so big inside and have so many items.
"There's a big car park too, and I was one of the first 30 in the queue so I got my complimentary Super 6 items."
Ms McCarron left the store with a trolley full of groceries and cat food.
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She added: "It's freezing cold but I got here at 7.53am in time to see them cut the ribbon."
The new store will be run by store manager Lina, along with a team of 40 colleagues.
To celebrate the new partnership between Aldi and ParalympicsGB, Lina and her team were joined by ParalympicsGB bronze medallist Jordanne Whiley.
The new store will offer fresh, British meat products with weekly offers, Aldi’s award-winning ‘Specially Selected’ range, exclusive Beers, Wines and Spirits, and a ‘Food to Go’ section at the front of the store.
Aldi’s Specialbuys will also be available in the middle aisle every Thursday and Sunday, offering good value on a wide range of products, from electrical items to garden tools.
The new store is calling on local charities and food banks in Abingdon to register with Neighbourly, a community engagement platform that links businesses to charitable organisations in the local community.
Local charities that register will be able to collect surplus food and perishable products, such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods, seven days a week. Any charities in the area that would like to link up with the new Aldi store should email aldi@neighbourly.com.
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The new store will be open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 10pm and on Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
Drivers have seen the store gradually take shape throughout the year, opposite the new Kings Gate estate.
Abingdon now has two budget supermarkets - Lidl opened at Fairacres retail park in April last year.
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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
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