The opening of Sainsbury’s in Hampstead High Street has been delayed to next year.
The supermarket chain, which will open in the former Gap store at number 35, had planned to welcome customers to its “Local” store this autumn.
But now Sainsbury’s says it is aiming to open by spring 2022 – and that the delay was “influenced by a range of factors”, which it would not disclose.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: “We remain committed to investing in the Hampstead community and are looking forward to this opportunity to become a part of it again, in a nod to our history of serving customers in the area from Heath Street.
"We are now hoping to open our new store by spring 2022.”
The express shop is expected to open from 7am to 11pm. In May, the supermarket was granted a daily licence by Camden Council to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm.
Linda Chung, from the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum (HNF), had called for greater restrictions on the sale of alcohol in the evenings, citing concerns over antisocial behaviour and crime.
Sainsbury's ran a shop in Heath Street until 1970.
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