Residents fear Llanelli is becoming a ‘Ghost Town’ following ALDI closure

One of Llanelli Town Centre’s few-remaining budget supermarkets has closed its doors as its lease on the building at Swanfield Place expired on the 27th of April, leaving residents of the town with fewer options within walking distance for their weekly shop. ALDI supermarket was a welcomed addition to the town centre when it first opened and residents of Llanelli have relied heavily on its centralised location.

However, the expansion of Trostre Retail Park has seen more high-street businesses closing their doors as more people opt to shop in the ever busy retail park on the outskirts of Llanelli, which has resulted in the gradual loss of custom on the once popular high-street.

Some of our readers will remember what Llanelli once was when the high-street was a bustling and energetic place to be. How Vaughan Street would be teeming with businesses the likes of which have been lost to time. Readers will remember Woolworths, D Hill Davies Gentlemen’s Outfitters, the Blue Orchid, the Cross Keys Inn and many more that drew people from around Llanelli, into the heart of a bustling town with community at its centre.

Whilst ALDI has a brand new store in Trostre which will see many shoppers migrate there, the closure of the town centre property at Swanfield Place near the ODEON Cinema has left residents who rely on the supermarket as well as small business owners within the town, disappointed and deflated over the loss. Aldi is not the first business to close its doors in the town centre:

In 2020, the health and beauty store Superdrug left Llanelli’s high-street after opening a store in Trostre Retail Park.

In August 2022, due to financial issues, Wilkinsons closed its storefront in the St Elli Shopping Centre, which came as a blow to residents who relied on the retailer for simple amenities within walking distance.

Following this closure, Sports Direct closed down its store in September the following month. Sports Direct now has a premises in the Trostre Retail Park.

Some have said that Llanelli is now a ghost town and that soon, people won’t want to visit the town centre. Others have said that the elderly and disabled have not been taken into consideration and that a lack of accessible transport prevents people getting to Trostre as an alternative.

As more big brand names and popular stores close their doors in the town centre, opting for retail properties in Trostre, town residents and small businesses are left feeling as though their town centre is being abandoned and many fear that more shoppers will opt to shop in Trostre rather than in the town itself.