TJ Morris, the company behind discount chain Home Bargains, is set to open its first store in Scotland later this year as part of ambitious plans to double the size of its business.
The store, in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, would be the independent retailer’s most northerly store and would mark the first time TJ Morris has crossed the border. It currently has 170 stores stretching from Barry, South Wales to Newcastle.
“Our first store in Scotland is planned to open later this year and we’re aiming for a dozen or so in Scotland by the end of 2009,” said operations director Joe Morris. “We’re looking for stores in the Edinburgh and Glasgow areas.”
It is currently recruiting a store manager, assistant store manager and supervisor for the Rutherglen store, as well as an area manager for Scotland. Morris was confident the company could open a number of stores in Scotland in a short space of time.
“A year ago we didn’t have any stores in South Wales, but now we have five,” he said, adding that the company’s retail format of selling brands at discount prices had proved successful in every area it was currently operating in.
Expanding the trading area was possible because of a dramatic expansion of its distribution centre in Liverpool. The 350,000 sq ft depot is increasing capacity from 17,000 to 60,000 pallets and taking the height of its shelving from 12m to 35m. Work is expected to be completed by early next year and would give TJ Morris the capacity to serve 600 stores.
TJ Morris was also planning to introduce more fanfare to store openings, said Morris. The retailer did not currently advertise store openings. But it had bought 17 of the 60 Superlambanana statues created by artists in Liverpool to celebrate the city’s status as European Capital of Culture 2008 and would use them at store openings as well as loaning them out to Merseyside schools.
“We want to bring a piece of Liverpool to our new stores,” said Morris.
“Our first store in Scotland is planned to open later this year and we’re aiming for a dozen or so in Scotland by the end of 2009,” said operations director Joe Morris. “We’re looking for stores in the Edinburgh and Glasgow areas.”
It is currently recruiting a store manager, assistant store manager and supervisor for the Rutherglen store, as well as an area manager for Scotland. Morris was confident the company could open a number of stores in Scotland in a short space of time.
“A year ago we didn’t have any stores in South Wales, but now we have five,” he said, adding that the company’s retail format of selling brands at discount prices had proved successful in every area it was currently operating in.
Expanding the trading area was possible because of a dramatic expansion of its distribution centre in Liverpool. The 350,000 sq ft depot is increasing capacity from 17,000 to 60,000 pallets and taking the height of its shelving from 12m to 35m. Work is expected to be completed by early next year and would give TJ Morris the capacity to serve 600 stores.
TJ Morris was also planning to introduce more fanfare to store openings, said Morris. The retailer did not currently advertise store openings. But it had bought 17 of the 60 Superlambanana statues created by artists in Liverpool to celebrate the city’s status as European Capital of Culture 2008 and would use them at store openings as well as loaning them out to Merseyside schools.
“We want to bring a piece of Liverpool to our new stores,” said Morris.
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