HOME, garden and leisure retailer, The Range, officially opened its doors in Newton Abbot today to an enthusiastic crowd of locals and visitors.

The grand opening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Councillor Ron Peart, mayor of Kingsteington, as customers flocked to explore the store’s range of homeware and gardening goods.

Shoppers were keen to be among the first to experience the store, with early queues forming outside.

The initial 50 shoppers were treated to goodie bags, filled with over 20 of the retailer’s most-loved products with the first customer in line receiving a Lay-Z-Spa Singapore AirJet Plus Hot Tub prize worth over £599.

The second and third customers also won a prize including a Charleston 2 Burner Gas BBQ courtesy of Calor Gas and a Slush Puppy with Party Pack.

Brand representatives from key suppliers, including Calor Gas, Burts, Westland, Sodastream, Dew Products and Husqvarna, were on hand at the grand opening, offering shoppers expert advice, demonstrations, giveaways and samples, from gardening to home improvements.

A key highlight of the new store is the introduction of the ‘Garden Centre by Homebase’, offering a selection of outdoor plants, gardening tools and supplies to satisfy every green-fingered enthusiast.

It also follows The Range’s dog friendly initiative, allowing well-behaved four-legged shoppers in store, provided they are kept on.

The Newton Abbot store is part of the wider expansion effort, with new sites also launching today in Felixstowe and Blyth, with more planned throughout 2025.

CEO of CDS Superstores, trading as The Range, Wilko and Homebase, Alex Simpkin said: ‘It’s been an exciting day for The Range and our customers here in Newton Abbot.

‘The opening of this new store marks a milestone for us, especially with the introduction of Garden Centres by Homebase – a great new offering for gardening lovers.

‘We’ve combined Homebase’s trusted expertise with the diverse range of products The Range is known for, and we can’t wait for more shoppers to experience this one-stop-shop destination for home improvement and gardening.’

The newly opened Newton Abbot store also provides a free Click & Collect service, allowing customers to shop either online atwww.homebase.co.uk or therange.co.uk and grab their selected purchases in-store within 60 minutes.