A TRADE slump following Christmas and the demise of Woolworth's in Abergavenny looks set to change when a discount store settles in the vacant building next month.

B & M Retail Limited, a Blackpool-based company will be opening a branch in the high street following the closure last month of the store, which nestled in the town for more than 70 years.

It's good news for traders and businesses who say they hope the new store will bring a greater footfall to the "dying" town.

The bargain store will sell products ranging from electronics, furniture to food, drink and toys. It has already planned to increase its stores throughout the UK from 48 to 100 over the next five years.

B&M have been established for 30 years, and their 89 stores attract more than 600,000 shoppers a week.

On the company website it states, "We specialise in top brands at the lowest prices. Come to B&M for a fun and exciting retail experience. The secret of the company's success is the 5,000 different product lines changing on a weekly basis. We are growing and soon expect to have reached more than 100 stores. One thing about B&M is certain, the customer is always a winner. With hundreds of new products appearing daily, you'd be mad to pass by! It is the North West's premier discount retailer, selling everything from Baked Beans or Shampoo through to Barbie Dolls and Cushions, all at hugely discounted prices."

B&M was formed in 1976 and has an annual turnover of more than £120 million and each B&M store attracts between 10,000 and 20,000 customers each week.

The company has posted an advert for vacancies on its job website seeking a deputy manager to be located in Abergavenny.

Mayor of Abergavenny, councillor John Prosser said, "I am delighted that a new shop is coming to the high street so soon following the closure of Woolworth's. It will provide much needed jobs and hopefully will attract more footfall to our town centre. It demonstrates that businesses do want to come to Abergavenny and I hope several more will follow soon to occupy the empty units."

President of the Chamber of Trade, Susi Cernoch said traders are welcoming the opening of a new shop in the town centre.

"It's good news for the town. We are looking forward to seeing what the shop will be like. It's all positive for the town and we are looking forward to seeing it opening. We did not want to have an empty shop in the centre of town."

The Management Vision statement is the philosophy adopted by B&M, "Our vision is by offering a broad range of quality products at very low prices and by continually exciting our customers with fantastic bargains, enhanced by superb retail standards, to provide a pleasurable shopping experience which prompts customers to return again and again to a B&M Store."

Former councillor Graham Preece said he and his wife we looking forward to sopping in the new store.

He said, "The traders have to wake up to the type of puchasing that has changed. It is nice to have small shops but we want to keep people in Abergavenny and not going to other towns. I welcome anything that keeps trade up."

It is hoped that other empty retail units, such as the former Greggs, Motorworld, Sweetman's, Heli-beds and Card Warehouse will soon be snapped up by other successful businesses.

A worker at the B&M store in Newpot said a store will be opening in Abergavenny by February.