Discount retailer Home Bargains has created 30 new jobs by opening a new store in Dudley despite conditions remaining tough on the high street.
The company has invested £450,000 in the new shop, which opened on Saturday in the Churchill Shopping Centre.
A spokesman for the company said as other retailers are closing and leaving the UK’s high streets deserted, Home Bargains is bucking the trend with plans to open dozens of new stores across the UK in the next six months.
TJ Morris, which operates as Home Bargains, has also acquired 14 former Woolworths outlets from the administrator and plans to purchase further stores direct from the landlords.
Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, commented: “Home Bargains is thrilled to be opening a brand new store in Dudley. We’re really excited to be expanding our network in the West Midlands and offering even more people in the region great products at exceptionally low prices. Dudley will be a great location for us.”
The new store will stock cut-price home-ware items, as well as health and beauty, household, sweets and alcoholic drinks.
Home Bargains, which already has more than 180 UK stores, plans to open 30 new outlets in the next six months.
Latest research showed annual growth in retail sales hit 3.3 per cent last month, its highest level for 14 months, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Sales of household goods on a month-on-month basis soared to their highest level since August, 2006, after a month-on-month rise of 4.5 per cent, in a reflection of a recent upturn in the UK property market.
Food store sales have so far been resilient, but ended a five-month run of increases last month with a one per cent fall – the lowest level for a year.
