LONDON, 2014-9-18— /EPR Retail News/ — Four-time Paralympic Champion and Active Kids ambassador, Ellie Simmonds OBE, joined local children to open a new Sainsbury’s convenience store on 15 September, on the site of her medal haul at London 2012.
The new store, in Stratford East Village, employs 25 people and offers an excellent range of fresh fruits and vegetables, an in-store bakery, a pizza counter and a cash machine.
After cutting the ribbon at the new Sainsbury’s Local, Ellie met children from Colegrave Primary School to present them with an Active Kids pack, including bats and balls, skipping ropes, hula hoops and more, worth £300. She will also get behind a competition inviting children to design a bag for life, and the winning design will be available in the store later in the year.
Ellie Simmonds said: “I do a lot of work encouraging school children to get involved in sport as part of my role as Active Kids ambassador, but it is always really nice to get out into stores and meet with Sainsbury’s colleagues too and this one is extra special since it is so close to the Olympic Park, which brings back great memories. Last time I was in a store I was let loose on the check-out, which was a lot of fun, so maybe I can help out in Stratford on opening day as they are bound to be very busy!”
Rajesh Jethva, the new store manager said: “We know that people want to shop locally and frequently, and have been looking for a store in the area for some time, so it was great to mark the opening with a great community event bringing together local school children, representatives from our Local Charity partner Community Links, colleagues and a special appearance from Ellie Simmonds. We are looking forward to getting to know our customers and playing an important role in the local area going forward.”
The store will be open Monday to Saturday 7am to 11pm and 11am to 5pm on Sunday.
Notes to editor: Sainsbury’s has donated £136million worth of equipment since the Active Kids scheme began in 2005 and we now have over 53,000 schools and organisations registered
###
