BOOMING bargain chain B&M has revealed where 16 new stores will open, with 29 more in the pipeline.
Our handy map plots out the confirmed locations, check it out to see if a swanky new store is opening near you.
The locations already announced stretch from the top to the tail of Britain, from Kent to Cumbria to Carlisle, however 45 are due to open in total.
B&M has been thriving over the past two years, despite its rival high street retailers continuing to flounder.
In the last year the owner of B&M stores in the UK and France, and the UK Heron Foods Chain, saw revenue rise 2.5% to £5.6bn.
Bosses said: “The pipeline for next year continues to be robust with 45 gross new store openings expected.”
However, Homebase fell into administration last year but was bought out at the last minute by billionaire Chris Dawson, owner of CDS Superstores, which runs The Range and Wilko.
Likewise, Kingfisher, the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix, saw their profits dip over 25% to £568million.
However, there is hope for money-smart shoppers as a new wave of B&M openings will allow them to snap up their favourite discounted products from make-up to gardenware, to Easter chocolate.
The full list of stores is yet to be revealed, but the ones announced so far are due to open from April until August.
The first store is due to open in Hall Croft, Shepshed, Leicestershire, April 26, followed closely by a brand new outlet in New Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, May 2.
Another shop will open its doors in Eastgate, Louth, Lincolnshire, May 16 with another B&M opening just the day after on Watling Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, May 17.
Other confirmed openings include a store in Antrim, Northern Ireland, August 19 and Galashiels, on the Scottish Border, on June 20.
Some other recent B&M openings include:
- Woodhall Business Park, Eastern Bypass, Sudbury, Suffolk
- Eaton Walk, Rushden, Northamptonshire
- Victoria Shopping Centre, Chartwell Square, Southend-on-Sea
- Crossgates Shopping Centre, Unit 47A, Crossgates, Leeds, West Yorkshire
- 49-53 Market Street, Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside
High energy costs, a post-COVID migration to online shopping, and the cost of living crisis have squeezed high-street retailers over recent years.
Housing market woes have also dampened interest in DIY.
The recent hike of the national minimum wage to £12.21 for over 21s has exacerbated the strain on retailers, with the British Retail Consortium predicting it will cost the sector £2.3billion.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
B&M’s new openings offer a ray of hope for retail workers after 170,000 lost their jobs last year.
The complete list of confirmed B&M openings this year
Here is a list of the sixteen locations we do know about:
- Hall Croft, Shepshed, Leicestershire – April 26
- New Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire – May 2
- Eastgate, Louth, Lincolnshire – May 16
- Watling Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham – May 17
- Bridge Street, Killamarsh, Derbyshire – May 21
- Middlebrook Way, Holt Road, Cromer, Norfolk – May 23
- Linden Park Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent – May 24
- Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – May 30
- Wyndham Way Retail Park, Portishead, Somerset – May 30
- The Market Hall, The Eden Centre, Carlisle, Cumbria – May 30
- Wrekin Retail Park, Arleston, Telford, Shropshire – May 31
- Horsted, Chatham – June 6
- Queens Parade, Winsford – June 11
- Picton Court, Bridgend – June 14
- Galashiels – June 20
- Antrim – August 19
To keep track of which other stores are opening, keep an eye on the B&M website.