…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Discount retailer B&M is opening three new stores alongside several relaunches as part of its ongoing expansion.
The move follows the closure of sites in March and April.
The discount store is set to open six stores in total during April and May, including a new store in Fforestfach in Swansea, as well as outlets in Widnes and Merseyside.
The Swansea and Widnes stores will open towards the end of May, with Fazakerley in Merseyside expected to launch on 31 May.
A spokesperson for B&M said: “We’re feeling extremely positive about the creation of more jobs for local people and we hope customers are going to be delighted with their new store.
We are all really excited to get the doors open and welcome our new customers through the door.”
The discount store closed three sites in March and plans to shut another in April.
However, B&M stated that the closures were not related to the “diminishing high street” but were due to new stores opening and other factors.
The first store to undergo refurbishment is the retailer’s unit at Riverside Retail Park in Fife, with the doors for the upgraded site opening on 29 April.
The expansion was in response to feedback from regular customers requesting a larger shop with a wider range of products.
The Fife store will now be 21,512 sq ft and include a garden centre of 3,296 sq ft.
B&M currently has more than 700 stores across the UK.
The expansion of its store in Lonsdale Road, Armagh makes it one of the biggest outlets for the retailer in Northern Ireland.
Work on the expansion will be completed in May, with the newly refurbished store opening on 5 May.
According to reports, the expansion will take the store’s floor space from 12,000 sq ft to close to 20,000 sq ft.
B&M’s store in Jarrow is not being expanded, but will undergo a “major refit” to improve the store and offer a wider range of products for customers.
The store will continue to trade during the work.