Hobbycraft to open in Telford creating 30 jobs

Arts and crafts retailer Hobbycraft has unveiled plans to open in Telford, creating 30 jobs. Bosses today said they were currently in negotiations to open their first store in the county in Telford.

It is hoped the store will open in September although a location has not yet been revealed.

The company, which is aiming to open 100 stores nationwide, has already started advertising for staff in Telford.

Jan Goodchild, Hobbycraft spokeswoman, said: "I can confirm we want to open a store in Telford. We are actively in negotiations for a site and we hope to open it in September. It will be the first one in Shropshire."

The closest Hobbycraft store is an outlet at Bridgemere Garden World, over the border in Cheshire, near Market Drayton.

Miss Goodchild said: "Our ambition is to have 100 stores nationwide and we have got 61 at the moment. We are planning to open another 15 in this financial year which ends at the end of February 2013.

"We are going to be refurbishing another 11 stores within our existing estate."

She said the stores were geared towards mothers with young children, and grandparents, and ran active programmes, including work- shops. She added: "We are really very, very excited to be coming to Telford."

She said the firm, which employs more than 1,000 people nationwide, tends to open stores on out-of-town retail parks.