By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Costco opening in Gloucester later this year is seen as a huge boost at a “pivotal” time when civic chiefs are developing ambitious plans for the city.
The members-only warehouse wholesaler announced it will open on December 12 and it is expected to create up to 250 jobs on the former Interbrew site off Eastern Avenue.
Gloucester City Council approved plans to provide the 13,109m2 warehouse club and 18-bay filling station along with tyre installation and sales in December 2024. The Costco site is designed to have 612 car parking spaces which includes 24 disabled spaces, 30 electrical vehicle charging spaces and 20 cycle places.
And this investment was highlighted by civic chiefs at a recent Gloucester City Council meeting, with hopes it will attract more business.
The comments were made during a meeting which scrutinised a draft masterplan which will help shape the future of the wider city over the next 20 to 25 years.
The new blueprint aims to build on Gloucester’s strengths while helping to address future challenges, from economic growth and housing to climate resilience, connectivity and placemaking.
Councillor Andrew Gravells (C, Abbeydale), who chairs the overview and scrutiny committee, said: “I’ve got no doubt in my mind at all that when some people travel a considerable distance to visit Costco, they will then take the time to get to know Gloucester a bit more and visit historic parts of this city like the cathedral, if they have the time.
“And Gloucester will be a winner as a result of that and there may be other spinoff businesses too.
“First of all we’ve got to get the investment. Costco is putting their money where their mouth is and I’m sure others will follow.
“And apart from anything else, it puts Gloucester firmly on the map.”
During the meeting on October 5 he highlighted the “buzz” there is around Gloucester and surrounding areas about Costco coming to the city.
“I think that is going to build a good relationship for Gloucester city centre for retail,” he told the meeting.
“I’ve got no doubt the Costco move is a very wise move on their part and will bring great benefits to the city, not least in terms of job opportunities, qualifications and just being a good place to spend a lot of time and a lot of money.
“I don’t think it’s all negative. Costco might not be your cup of tea but from what I’ve seen on social media, there are people within 30 to 40 miles of Gloucester, saying ‘yeah, we want to come and check out the new Costco because it really is a good shopping experience’.”
He asked the council’s head of place Andrew Hearne, who presented the masterplan at the meeting, what the city is missing to attract more developers and businesses.
Mr Hearne acknowledged “it’s a really difficult challenge” but said the inner city of Gloucester has got everything it needs to further develop its retail offer.
“The buildings are all there,” he said. “The platform is there.”
He went on to say Gloucester is an incredible city with a huge heritage and historical link to it that is not capitalised enough.
“We don’t play on it enough,” he said. “If you look at the way York do it, everyone knows what York is for. They’ve got a real ambassador, advocate and brand.
“I think we need to reformulate what the brand is. The niche right now is we have too many of the same shops across the high street.
“We haven’t got enough smaller, private businesses that want to come in and develop and we don’t have enough anchor [stores].
“We’ve got the big boys like Primark and H&M and they really are draws and pulls.”
However, he said Gloucester needs to offer more for families to do when they come into the city centre.
The Gloucester City Council masterplan, created by placemaking consultants Prior + Partners, is now available to view and people are invited to share their views on it.
The council says the consultation will help shape the final masterplan by gathering feedback on the future of the city, the changes people would most like to see, and where investment and improvements should be prioritised, particularly within the city centre.
With The Forum complete and the Greyfriars regeneration project progressing at pace, the council says “Gloucester is at a pivotal point in its development”.
The council believes the masterplan provides an opportunity to build on this momentum and establish a clear roadmap for the city’s future over the coming decades. The consultation closes on November 23, 2026.