A new Price Rite store opens its doors this afternoon in Warwick, and it is almost twice as big as the original warehouse-style outlet at Mill Reach Road in Pembroke.

There is 13,000 sq ft of retail space, predominantly focused on bulk food items, including a large section with vegetables, frozen foods, fresh and frozen meats, and an alcoholic drinks section.

Elsewhere in the store there are electronics, including flat-screen televisions, household items and a range of toys.

The new Price Rite is located in the premises of the former White’s supermarket on Middle Road.

The economic squeeze of recent years has been reflected in more people buying certain shopping items in bulk to save themselves some dollars in the long run, according to Gary Shuman, president of The MarketPlace, which owns Price Rite.

He said the company had had “amazing success” with bulk food sales since opening Price Rite, in Pembroke, in 2007.

“We adjusted to customers’ needs. There is a big demand for bulk foods where customers can save themselves dollars,” he said.

In preparation for the new store, the company has created a further 14 full-time jobs across its chain of stores. Some of those new positions are based at the Warwick location.

The former White’s supermarket closed in 2012. Two years later work started on transforming the vacant property into a Price Rite outlet.

“It has been a 16- or 17-month process to bring the premises up to standard. The building had been empty for a long time and was in a bad state of repair,” explained Mr Shuman, who said the store’s wider aisles were designed to improve the shopping experience for customers.

“The wider aisles make it more pleasurable for customers; they don’t feel rushed and can browse and take their time to choose.”

In line with customer demand, bulk food items are the main focus, however, there is a sizeable selection of more general items that are harder to come by in Bermuda.

Mr Shuman said: “These are items that people have to go online to order. We can source these from our suppliers.”

The Price Rite store is easily accessible from Middle Road, near the junction with Burnt House Hill, and it has a large car parking area.

The outlet will open at 1pm today with a ribbon-cutting event, expected to be attended by Michael Dunkley, the Premier. The regular opening hours are 8am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 7pm on Sundays.

Meanwhile, there will be a remodelling of the Price Rite outlet on Mill Reach Road next February. Some improvement work is already under way.