HELENSBURGH shoppers are flocking to the town's new Morrisons supermarket after the Cardross Road store opened its doors to the public for the first time. 

Staff welcomed their first customers at 7am on Thursday - but before the ribbon was cut, the Advertiser was given an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Helensburgh's newest supermarket ahead of its long-awaited opening day.

Store manager Scot Byers, who has worked with the groceries giant for 18 years, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to finally be opening.

"Everybody uses the term ‘journey’ and it certainly has been a journey for us.

“We want to do the best for the people of Helensburgh. We absolutely understand what Morrisons means to Helensburgh and we want to do the best job we can. Every one of the management team and colleagues have that ambition."

The decision by Waitrose to close its Helensburgh shop in May, seven years after it opened as the company’s 300th UK branch, left more than 100 people out of work.

Morrisons has since taken on around 250 employees, interviewing more than 700 folk from over 1,300 applications. Every former Waitrose worker was guaranteed a virtual interview, and Scot is confident that with his team now in place, the new store is here to stay.

“What we want to be known for are the principles of being at the heart of the community, being known for our service, our price, our market street and our availability," he added.

“What we offer, and the variance in the offering, will suit the Helensburgh public. We’re confident in our own offering, we know the local market, just eight miles away there is a Morrisons store in Dumbarton, so we’re very suited to what’s in and around us."

The store, which includes a selection of Nutmeg clothing, Market Street favourites, a cafe and petrol station, and has a firm focus on locally-sourced produce, will be open between 7am and 10pm Monday-Saturday and from 8am until 8pm on Sundays.

Home deliveries start on Monday, December 7 and there will also be a dedicated shopping hour for NHS staff from 6-7am, as well as a 10 per cent discount for teachers until January 3.

For more details visit groceries.morrisons.com.

* See this week's Advertiser - out tomorrow (Thursday, December 3) - for more on the new Helensburgh Morrisons.