Major discounter to open 400 new stores in boost for the high street

A MAJOR discounter is set to open hundreds of new stores in a boost for the high street and shoppers.

Home Bargains has said it wants to add roughly 400 branches to its shop tally as part of major expansion plans.

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The retailer, which was running 594 locations as of last June, said it wanted to “eventually have between 800 and 1,000 retail outlets open”.

The Sun approached Home Bargains to find out the date it plans on reaching its store target but the retailer declined to comment.

In the accounts filed to Companies House earlier this week, Home Bargains also reported a 10% rise in sales to around £3.7billion in the year to June 2023 compared to the same month in 2022.

Its pre-tax profits increased by over 12% from £288million to £324million.

It added the positive results for the most recent financial year had come due to “opening of additional retail outlets during the year, shop re-sites and an increased contribution from existing stores”.

It comes after the retailer bought out fellow discounter Quality Save last January.

The retailer then announced plans to close all 21 of its branches and reopen them as Home Bargains stores.

However, in August, it confirmed the Stalybridge, Atherton, Chorley and Darwen stores would not take part in the rebrand and would close for good instead.

We have asked Home Bargains if all branches earmarked for closure and reopening have been rebranded and will update this story when we have heard back.

In July last year, Home Bargains also announced it would be rolling out 20 bakeries at stores across the UK over the following 12 months.

The chain has already opened more than 60 across shops including in Oxford, London and Wolverhampton.

Shoppers can nab everything from baguettes to tiger rolls, pastries and doughnuts at the new counters.

Home Bargains recently announced expansion plans see them join a host of other retailers eyeing up more sites.

B&M has opened 17 branches already this year, while Aldi has its eyes set on opening hundreds more branches in the coming years.

DIY chain Screwfix is also set to open dozens of branches as its owner Kingfisher looks to expand its nationwide presence.

Major supermarket chain Asda has also been opening dozens of branches across the UK.

How to save money at Home Bargains

You’ll want to first start by looking in the right place in your local Home Bargains store.

You can find your nearest store by using the retailer’s branch locator tool on its website.

Tom Church, retail expert from deals website latestdeals.co.uk, previously told The Sun the best offers are usually by the front door in a bid to lure you in.

Next, it’s worth keeping an eye out for Mrs Hinch products which are extremely popular and often reduced in price, he said.

Shop at the right time too, which according to one current worker is first thing in the morning, when stock is fresh and you’re likely to get the best pick of products.

In other news, Home Bargains shoppers are filling their baskets with a “beautiful” perfume scanning at the tills for just £4.

Plus, football fans have been going wild for a new Arsenal version of the popular Prime drink.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing squeezeteam@thesun.co.uk.

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