STUNNED shoppers were forced to go elsewhere on Monday when they found Accrington's Kwik Save store closed.
Signs on the door said the Union Street store had been bought by a third party and would re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday.
The move sparked rumours that staff had been sacked and that the store's future was in jeopardy.
But on Tuesday morning all of the 16 staff returned to work as employees of BTTF Ltd, which issued an assurance that no jobs would be lost.
Kwik Save's parent company Somerfield has sold 15 of its stores across Lancashire to Back to the Future (BTTF) as part of a huge business shake-up.
Following substantial losses in the Kwik Save business, Somerfield, which owns 350 stores nationwide, sold a total of 171 to BTTF and 77 to other retailers.
Somerfield also plans to convert 102 of its Kwik Save stores to Somerfield stores.
BTTF was formed by three businessmen to specifically take over Kwik Saves, and all stores will continue to trade as normal.
Paul Niklas, managing director, said: "This marks a recommitment to the Kwik Save brand which already has strong local presence.
"We will over time be refreshing the store's image while maintaining the exisitng offer of quality branded products at competitive prices.
"We will also be looking for opportunities to source local produce wherever possible, to bring local products direct to the local community."
