NATIONAL budget powerhouse B&M Homestores has this week confirmed it is taking over a prime out-of-town site from Homebase in Pasteur Road, Great Yarmouth.

The company said it had had its eye on the town for at least two years and was delighted to be opening the large 30,000 sq ft store on December 1 creating over 30 new jobs.

B&M now trade from 300 stores compared to 20 stores only five years ago. In the last three years, it has been opening an average one new store every week. The company is now one of the UK's largest retailers with two million shoppers per week. It employs 10,000 staff.

Carl Allen, operations director, said: 'What is amazing about our growth is that is has been secured just through word of mouth. The secret to this is very simple – we sell branded products at discounted prices. The shopping public are obviously voting with their feet. We have been waiting for an opportunity in Great Yarmouth for two years, and are delighted to have secured this site.'

B&M sells a wide variety of 7,000 different products. It sells keenly discounted everyday essentials such as food, toiletries and household goods but it also has key strengths in soft furnishings, toys, home-wares and seasonal goods. The company has been recognised as one of the top 100 fastest growing private companies in the UK by the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 ranking.

The chain, whose nearest local presence until now was a newly-opened store in Lowestoft, has benefited from the recession.

Adding a branch in Great Yarmouth extends its march across East Anglia.