Retail recruiters will be interested to hear that Somerfield announced it wants to open 250 new stores in the next three years, effectively increasing its store portfolio by more than a quarter.

Following the sale of Somerfield in January 2006 to a consortium comprising property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, Apax Partners and Barclays Capital, the Bristol-based chain has been through a period of transformation, closing 600 branches, selling discount chain Kwik Save, reducing its head office count from 1,800 to 800 and shutting six of its 10 distribution centres.

Chief executive Paul Mason has now used a comparative position of strength to launch an assault on the UK ‘local’ market, a continuation of his attempts to position Somerfield to use its scale and branding to gain competitive advantage over independents and smaller grocery chains, while staying out of the cut-throat superstore sector.