A discount high street chain is due to open in Shrewsbury’s former Woolworths store this weekend, creating about 40 jobs.

Bosses of Home Bargains said its new £500,000 shop, to be sited in the same building in the Darwin shopping centre as fashion retailer H&M, will officially open on Saturday. The discount retailer has so far acquired 25 former Woolworths outlets, and this latest opening will bring about 40 jobs to the area.

It is the second store in Shropshire for the firm. TJ Morris, which owns Home Bargains, was established over 30 years ago by Tom Morris. Since opening his first store in Liverpool, the business has grown to become one of the biggest privately-owned companies in the UK.

As other retailers are closing and leaving the UK’s high streets deserted, Home Bargains is bucking the trend with plans to open 50 new stores across the UK in the next 12 months.

Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, said: “Home Bargains is excited to be opening this new store in Shrewsbury, building on the success of our existing Telford store, and bringing with it 40 top quality jobs.

“We’re thrilled to be in a position to offer local people top branded goods at exceptionally low prices.”

Shoppers can get their hands on the latest bargains, including a great selection of homewares, with a range of other top brand goods also on offer.

Fashion chain H&M opened the doors of its new flagship store in Shrewsbury, last month.

The latest branch of one of the most popular names on the High Street promised a series of special offers to those first customers through the door on November 19.

Woolworths closed down last December after the company went into liquidation with hundreds of people losing their jobs.

Hennes & Mauritz, as the Swedish brand is also known, has outlets in 34 countries employing 73,000 people.

The opening was hailed as a welcome boost for the county town and its retail sector.

It is one of a number of high profile new store openings in Shropshire. Others include a new branch of luxury beauty specialists L€Occitane which has also opened in Shrewsbury.