Excitement as 'paperless' Dunelm store opens in The Springs, Leeds

Leeds shoppers raced to the 8am opening of the new branch in The Springs shopping centre, near Colton, following an announcement last night on The Springs' social media accounts.

And despite it being April fools day, they weren't kidding, as the popular homes store threw open its doors at 8am.

The first 30 followers of Dunelm's community Facebook page for the store through the door this morning got a £10 gift card and a £20 Dunelm goody bag. An in-store raffle also took place, boasting a grand prize of afternoon tea for two at Thorpe Park Hotel, with money donated to the Mind mental health charity.

Responding to a social media post about the opening, one shopper said: "Can't wait for a shopping spree!"

Another wrote: "I love Dunelm. I often go to the other Leeds store but the new one will be much nearer for me. Can't wait for it to open."

One Dunelm fan, presumably concerned by the temptation when faced with the selection of homewares, wrote: "I. Am. Doomed!"

Steve Barton, Director of Property at Dunelm, said, “We are delighted to announce that we will open a new store at The Springs Leeds on 1 April. We chose The Springs due to its high-quality environment, and great transport and infrastructure links. It is an ideal scheme for us to launch our new format store that is around half the size of our standard superstore.”

Dunelm was founded in 1979 as a Leicester market stall business selling ready-made curtains. Since opening the first Dunelm store in Leicester in 1984, the company has expanded across the country. It has more than 175 stores and employs 9,000 staff nationwide.