New jobs as DIY store opens

DIY retailer Homebase opened its doors in Oswestry today having created 50 new jobs in the town.The new store, on Penda Retail Park, Salop Road, which was previously a Focus DIY store, has taken just one month to prepare for opening.

The store has taken on 50 full and part-time members of staff from the area, including those from the previous Focus store.

It Measures 20,000 sq ft in total, including a garden centre at 10,000 sq ft, and offers more than 30,000 products across DIY and decorating, home and garden ranges, including kitchen, bathroom and furniture display areas.

Oswestry's Focus DIY store was one of 41 to close across the country as part of a £68 million deal.

Homebase acquired 27 stores in total from Focus, with the intention to refit them and turn them into Homebase stores ahead of there peak trading in the spring.

Customer service manager Thom Kerr was at today's opening and said the store would now be raising funds for its chosen charity.

Mr Kerr said: "We hope to be able to really do our bit when it comes to raising funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

"We have set ourselves our own store target of £2,000 so we hope that with support from our new customers we'll make it possible for more cancer patients to be given the choice of being cared for at home, with the people who matter to them the most."