B&Q announce further expansion plans

B&Q, the leading DIY retailer, has followed its announcement of new Irish stores by announcing the opening of 20 new stores across the UK this year, creating 3,500 jobs.

The move will take the number of branches to 337 and increase the total workforce to 39,500.

The first of the new stores will open in Wigan at the end of this month followed by the largest B&Q in the UK at Trafford Park, Manchester, in July.

B&Q said the new stores will reflect the changing taste of customers. "New lines for 2004 will include a wider range of electrical appliances, soft furnishings and leisure equipment such as saunas and trampolines," the company said.

The DIY group currently has two stores in Dublin, employing around 350 people, and is also planning to increase stores in Ireland.

Last August at the opening of the Tallaght store on the Belgard road the group said it plans to open a further eight stores in Ireland over the next four years, which will provide an additional 1,000 new jobs.