Cotswold BMW has closed its showroom in Gloucester, with the opening of its new flagship store in Cheltenham.

The glossy new store, on Corinthian Way, close to the A40 and M5 on the outskirts of the town, is huge and should attract customers from across the region and beyond.

While some companies, such as Hyundai, are moving more car sales online, Cotswold BMW clearly sees the value in a slick-looking showroom, with good access to the motorway.

But the closure of the Gloucester store is a blow to the city. The former store, on Cole Avenue, is surrounded by a number of other car showrooms, including Bayliss Vauxhall and Volvo. The area attracted would-be car buyers, what will be the effect on the other retailers of losing Cotswold BMW? Now Cole Avenue is left with an empty unit and unless another retailer acquires it soon, it will quickly become unsightly.

Cotswold BMW was recently named as number 31 in Punchline's Gloucestershire's 100 Biggest Employers in Gloucestershire. The company employs 359 people in the county.

The company's store on Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham has also closed. The area is home to a number of car showrooms, including Jaguar, VW vans, Renault, Bentley and Aston Martin.

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