The Range has opened in Durham with 16 departments across two floors. So what exactly can you buy at The Range?
Crowds queued in the cold on Friday November 22 2019 for The Range Durham to open its doors for the first time at 9am. You can read all about it and see pictures from inside the new store in our The Range Durham first look story.
Mayor of Durham councillor Katie Corrigan cut the ribbon to officially open the store, and the first 50 customers received a free gift of a Christmas tree.
With 16 departments selling everything from table lamps to bird seed, and watercolour sponges to screenwash, there is a huge variety of items for sale.
Below, we've listed some of the fun items that caught our eye as we wandered around the aisles. These are why we love browsing in The Range.
The Range item #1: Inflatable hot tub
We absolutely love this idea. None of the fuss of an actual hot tub, but so much better than most inflatables. Even on our meagre patch of scrubland we call a garden, this might be how we're keeping warm this winter. Come and join us! (actually, don't - that might be weird).
The Range's inflatable hot tub is £269.99.
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The Range item #2: Rosie the solar rabbit
We like our garden ornaments, and we've already got a full-on resin menagerie lurking among the dahlias to greet us every time we walk out of our front door. We like the pebble dash finish, and we like solar stuff - no batteries, no power sources.
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There's just something about those eyes...drawing us in. What's that you say, Rosie - 'buy me'? Okay, but only if we keep the patio doors locked...
Rosie the solar rabbit is £17.99.
The Range item #3: Eiffel Tower floor lamp
Big enough to be a statement piece (and tall enough not to accidentally impale yourself if you trip up near it), this chrome Eiffel Tower changes colour. We pretty much guarantee that it'll become a talking point among your guests. We're getting one.
The Eiffel Tower lamp is £79.99.
The Range item #4: Santa's trousers bowl
These Santa's trousers bowls will certainly put a smile on your diners' faces when you present their soup starter. There's also a Santa's face bowl (also pictured, just about) so you can choose whichever half of Santa is your favourite.
These bowls are huge, too. Even the largest of appetites might be struggling if you fill Santa's trousers to the brim. So to speak.
The Santa's trousers bowls are £5.99.
The Range item #5: Holographic suitcase
Forget about tying coloured ribbons to your suitcase handle to distinguish it from the rest of the drab blue and grey cases on the luggage carousel: if you've got one of these holographic cabin cases, you'll stylishly stand out from the crowd with your unmistakable luggage. Well, as long as your fellow passengers don't also shop at The Range.
The Range's holographic suitcase is £49.99.
The Range item #6: Christmas Llama
Everyone has their special Christmas moments that mark the beginning of the first festive stirrings in their hearts every year. For some people, it's decorating the Christmas tree; for others, it's biting into their first mince pie of the season. For us, it is and always has been seeing our first Christmas Llama. Christmas can now officially begin.
To be honest, this isn't that unusual when we think about it; having browsed many stores, we've seen some far more unusual Christmas decorations including hamburgers, dinosaurs and even jammy dodger ornaments.
The Llama decoration is £6.29.
The Range item #7: Elf seesaw
This is a must-buy for those who take their season's decorations very seriously. Found yourself in a Christmas lawn decoration arms race with your neighbour? Go nuclear with this animated light-up elf seesaw and watch as your rivals throw in the towel.
The Christmas seesaw swing ropelight is £59.99.
On the day The Range opened in Durham, there was also a Metro Radio competition in store to win a £250 Range gift card, by guessing the value of a trolley full of The Range items.
There are also some new stores offers for customers, which will run until December 8, such as a 6ft slim spruce tree for £10 instead of £20.
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