Staff at a new Sainsbury's Local in Oxford gave their first customers a warm welcome this morning.

The new 2,627 sq ft convenience store has opened on the ground floor of the Royal Oxford Hotel.

It features an in-store bakery, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, a self-serve coffee machine and a wide range of other products.

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Staff and guests from the Yellow Submarine employment charity, which supports people with learning disabilities, came along to cut the ribbon at the opening.

Oxford Mail:

The store, with 20 staff, is one of seven Sainsbury's Locals across the city and is now trading from 7am-11pm Monday to Sunday.

Store manager Paul Haste said: "We are absolutely delighted to be here - we have been after this site for seven years and now we have got it.

Oxford Mail:

"The construction team did a great job to get the store ready in such a short time and everything looks great.

"We have created about 14 new jobs and have made a £500 donation to the Yellow Submarine charity as they are close neighbours.

Oxford Mail:

"I feel really proud that we are now open - it's taken months of hard work to get to this point."

Customer Mandy Zaccheo, who lives in Botley and works in HR at Oxford University, said the store was in a 'perfect location' for her to pick up groceries on the way home.

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She added: "I went in this morning just to check it out - I think it will do really well - there's so much passing trade."

Oxford Mail:

Co-director of Yellow Submarine Anna Cheetham thanked Sainsbury's for its donation.

She added: "We are hoping there will be some great partnership work in the future and we will see if there is the possibility of setting up some work placements.

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"I think this could be a mutually beneficial partnership - I'm pleased to see the rejuvenation of Park End Street."

Construction work started on site at the beginning of October.

The store will provide competition for the M&S branch at Oxford railway station.