IT’S 10 years this week since the Tesco juggernaut swept into Hexham.

The arrival of the High Street superstar caused much hand-wringing in and around the town, with fears that the opening of the massive 24 hour superstore would finally sound the death knell of Hexham town centre.

But while there have been huge changes in Hexham’s shopping habits over the past decade, with the disappearance of Tesco rivals the Co-op, Woolworths, Safeway and Morrisons, many feel the town is doing very nicely thank you.

While some big names have gone, there are some lusty new kids on the block, with the likes of Aldi, Iceland and Waitrose ensuring that Tesco does not have the grocery trade cornered.

And the arrival of big hitters like Next, Homebase and Bon Marche, with White Stuff and B&M waiting in the wings, not to mention the supposed blue chip retailers lining up to occupy the new shops on the bus station site, the future is looking decidedly rosy.

There remain a number of large empty shops, notably on Battle Hill and Priestpopple, but the notion that tumbleweed would be blowing down Fore Street once Tesco started operating have proved well wide of the mark.

Indeed, it is Tesco itself that is now looking over its shoulder as little Aldi next door is reeling in an ever tastier slice of the Hexham retail pie, with many canny shoppers now taking advantage of the discount prices at the Haugh Lane industrial estate for the bulk purchases, and only going to Tesco for the extras like branded butter.

While other stores closed down following the arrival of Tesco, Aldi, which had to fight an appeal to be allowed to open in the former North of England Wools warehouse on the Haugh Lane industrial estate, decided to expand its selling space by almost 25 per cent.

The opening of the Tesco store in October 2005 brought to an end a long period of huge retail uncertainty in Hexham, with Safeway involved in multiple applications to establish a new store in various parts of the town, including the railway station, and the Fewsters site now being eyed hungrily by Euro Garages.

Safeway was also due to take over the Matthew Charltons’ builders merchants site on Station Road, with that business scheduled to move to the still empty and forlorn site on Alemouth Road once occupied by the war time cold store cum Tynedale Council nuclear bunker.

All foundered for various reasons, until in July Hexham was hit with the bombshell news that one of its biggest tourist attractions, the hugely popular Tynedale Retail Park, had been sold to Tesco for a knockdown price.

The unique and esoteric department store pulled people in from across the North-East to sample its multiple delights, from a new kitchen or a five litre can of paint, to a bag of nails to a fortnight in Fuerteventura.

However, Tesco had made owners Merchant Retail an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Sister shop Robb’s department store, which has been part of the Hexham shopping scene for nearly 200 years, was also being put on the market, putting the jobs of 400 people on the line.

More than 43,000 people came to Hexham to pick over what was left in Tynedale Retail Park in its closing down sale, and there were almost as many people through the tills when Tesco opened its doors in October.

The Tesco opening came just weeks before the town’s Safeway store in the Wentworth car park was rebranded as a Morrison’s, but Morrison’s were already showing a defeatist attitude, bemoaning the fact that Tesco could offer free parking, while their customers would have to pay.

Within a few short months shops began to close in the town centre, with fishmonger Paul Smith saying he could not compete with Tesco prices, with the Pound Shop in Battle Hill following suit soon after.

Within a year, the Co-op superstore in Maidens Walk was on the market, unable to compete, but a survey carried out by the Hexham Courant showed that a majority of people thought the arrival of Tesco had been good for the town, bringing extra choice and bringing back to Hexham many dedicated Tesco shoppers from Kingston Park.

After a decade in town, Tesco is very much part of the Hexham shopping scene, and the town centre seems to be as busy as ever.