A NEW express convenience store has opened its doors to shoppers in Ipswich.

A NEW express convenience store has opened its doors to shoppers in Ipswich.

The Premier store in Russell Road can be found nestled between a number of busy offices just outside the town centre.

Tom West, who runs the new store, was pleased with how business was going. He said: “Things are going well.

“We opened eight months behind schedule just before Christmas and in the middle of the credit crunch, so obviously it wasn't how we intended, but we seem to have managed to buck the trend by getting the message out to people that we are well stocked and in a great location.

“We have local businesses and organisations surrounding us, with both council buildings right next door and AXA and Suffolk Life just down the road.

“People are creatures of habit and we think they will keep coming back once they become familiar with the quality and prices we have to offer.

“Lunch is by far our busiest period. We make all our fresh sandwiches and baguettes fresh every morning and even prepare a mini ploughman's lunch complete with a piece of fruit.”

The store was officially opened by Ipswich mayor David Hale - who didn't have to travel far from his office because the new store is on the ground floor of Grafton house, the borough's offices.

The completion of the footbridge over the Orwell linking the new Fairview estate with West End Road should also make Premier and any other stores which open there very convenient for the new residents.

Borough officials are hopeful that now that Premier has moved in, other retailers will see the attraction of the area and will move to take over the other vacant units at the bottom of Grafton House.