Blandford Forum locals celebrate the grand opening of The Range

Retailer The Range welcomes excited locals and visitors as it opens its new-format superstore.

UK retailer, The Range, opened its doors on Friday 31^st January, in Blandford Forum, with shoppers rushing to explore the products on offer in the former Homebase location.

The opening was part of an exciting chapter for the retailer, which now offers an upgraded shopping experience with the introduction of the ‘Garden Centre by Homebase’.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony kicked off the celebrations, led by Cllr John Dallison, as local residents and visitors enjoyed the festivities.

The store now includes the ‘Garden Centre by Homebase’, bringing a wide range of gardening needs, from outdoor plants and gardening tools to essential supplies like compost and pots, all under one roof. This expanded offering ensures customers have a one-stop destination for all the home improvement and gardening needs.

The opening was packed with excitement, as the first 50 people through the doors received exclusive goodie bags filled with The Range’s sought-after products. There were also two fantastic prizes for early arrivals, the 18v Cordless Combi Hammer Drill worth £120, for the first customer in line, and a Slush Puppy with Party Pack for second place.

In addition to the prize giveaways, key brand representatives from Burts, Westland, Rolf C Hagen and Sodastream were on-site to offer expert advice, product demonstrations and promotions and giveaways to shoppers. A representative from the NSPCC, a charity The Range continues to support, were also present.

The grand opening in Blandford Forum was one of several new-format store launches taking place today, including the opening of Stroud and Putney Road, Leicester, with more expected to follow throughout 2025.

CEO of CDS Superstores, trading as The Range, wilko and Homebase, Alex Simpkin said: “We’re excited to have opened this brand-new superstore in Blandford Forum and to be welcomed by such a lovely crowd. The new store format allows us to offer a broader range of home improvement and garden needs, all in one location.

We’re particularly proud of the new Garden Centre by Homebase, which really enhances the customer experience. It’s an exciting time for me and the whole team, and we look forward to welcoming more shoppers into the store.”

The Range continues its dog-friendly initiative, welcoming well-behaved dogs on leads in this store.

The newly opened Blandford Forum store also features the free Click & Collect service, allowing customers to shop either online at www.homebase.co.uk or therange.co.uk and grab their purchases in-store within 60 minutes.