A CUT-PRICE chain is hoping to breathe new life into a former Woolworths store in Southampton.

Around 30 jobs are being created as a result of 99p Stores moving into the empty shop in Shirley High Street.

With the deepening recession the bargain brand is hoping shoppers will flock to the store where everything is priced at just 99p.

Despite other bargain shops in the area, the company says it is confident the credit crunch market is big enough for them all. A spokesman said: “We have done our research and we are confident our new store in Shirley will prove popular.

“Our customer base is very wide.

Some of the products you might not think we stock like balsamic vinegar and specialist foods like wholegrain rice but we know more people are cooking at home now and want these sorts of ingredients at competitive prices. We retail much cheaper than the so-called big four supermarkets.”

The chain already has an outlet in Eastleigh and is not ruling out snapping up other vacant Woolworths stores in Hampshire.

The spokesman said another location in Hampshire was being earmarked.

He said: “We are certainly looking at the Woolworths shops as they are in prime areas.

“I can say that we are hoping to open another store in the Hampshire area but due to negotiations I can’t give any more details as to where.”

The company is organising an official opening ceremony for the first day of trading next Tuesday. A Daily Echo reader will be given the chance to cut the ribbon and toast the new shop along with taking part in a trolley dash.

Hussein Lalani, commercial director for the chain, which already has 77 stores nationwide, said: “Eastleigh has been an overwhelming success and we have discovered Hampshire people know a bargain when they see one.”



Don’t miss tomorrow’s Daily Echo for your chance to win a trolley dash around the store as part of a VIP package on the 99p Stores opening day. The prize also includes cutting the ribbon to officially open the shop along with a champagne toast.