Two huge household and DIY stores to open in Blackburn

Cooks Villa Catering Centre is based off Copy Nook and will open alongside the new Home Fix DIY and Garden Centre, which takes over the spot of the former Khanjra Cash and Carry. Both stores are set to launch on Saturday May 4.

Staff at the site were putting the finishing touches to the interior but the Lancashire Telegraph was given a sneak peek ahead of the opening.

The Cook Villa store stocks a range of items including, pots, pans, glasses, gifts, storage and decorative products. It is believed to be the biggest showroom of its kind in the north of England spread across 27,000 sq ft and has been designed ‘to rival some of the biggest brands’ in the country such as Ikea and The Range. 

A store spokesperson said: “We are delighted to be finally unveiling the store.
“Work here began a year ago and this was just a shell when we began this project.

“The Cooks Villa side of the site was a former car garage so it needed a lot of work to make it into a retail space. 

“We then began acquiring the stock and the rest of the work of making this shopper friendly began.

“We are happy with the finished look and it does rival some of the big retailers and it is great to be opening in Blackburn.”

As well as British-made products, stock has been shipped in from India, Turkey, Germany, China and Spain. 

The two new stores have been launched by the family behind Blackburn’s biggest cash and carry, Khanjra, who owns the site. The cash and carry moved to the much larger space near The Range.

The opening has created five full-time roles in this store and offers customers free parking. The complex is accessible from Gate Street, off Copy Nook.

The spokesperson said: “We wanted to make it unique and in a class of its own. 

“We have a huge range of products which customers may not be able to get anywhere else.

“Our ethos is based on giving customers access to a wide range of products at affordable prices.

“Our main focus at the moment is the shop floor but we are looking to offer our products on the new website.

“We can see a big demand for household projects and can see there being a lot of interest in the store when we open.”

DIY store at same site

The new Home Fix store, stocking more than 13,000 products, shares the same car park as the Cooks Villa Store.

It houses a huge range of DIY, building, plumbing, decorating and gardening products and is open to members of the public who can also use a café instore.

A Home Fix store spokesperson said: “We think there is a market for a new DIY store where you can pick up items for a competitive price.

“It is very much brand orientated and people will find some of the regular products they are used to and others.

“Again, the interior needed to be renovated and redesigned and it took a lot of work to get it up this level.”