B&M is set to close two stores this month as part of a wider overhaul of its UK estate, including relocations, expansions and investment in its existing shops.
The company will permanently shut its Hall Street store in Carmarthen on 15 August before opening a larger branch at Parc Pensarn Retail Park one week later.
Meanwhile, its B&M Home Store at Hylton Riverside Retail Park in Sunderland will close temporarily on 16 August to allow the final phase of expansion works to be completed. It is scheduled to reopen on 22 August.
B&M swaps Carmarthen high street for retail park
B&M’s Carmarthen store, located at 6-7 Hall Street near Guildhall Square, will cease trading on Saturday 15 August.
It will relocate to the former B&Q unit at Parc Pensarn Retail Park on Glanyrafon Road, with the new shop due to open on Saturday 22 August.
The larger store will include a garden centre alongside expanded ranges of frozen food, paint, wallpaper and other general merchandise.
B&M said the move would provide shoppers with a “bigger and better” store, although customers will face a one-week gap between the Hall Street closure and the opening of the Parc Pensarn branch.
The new Carmarthen shop is the only upcoming UK opening currently listed on B&M’s website.
Sunderland shop closes for expansion
B&M’s Hylton Riverside Retail Park store will close on Sunday 16 August before reopening the following Saturday.
The branch will remain open while most of the expansion work takes place but needs to close for five trading days so that the final phase can be completed.
B&M said the project was designed to deliver a “bigger and better B&M experience” at the Sunderland store.
The temporary closure forms part of a wider refurbishment drive across its estate. B&M has recently completed store improvement projects in locations including Corby, Leicester, Pentwyn and Southwick Green in Sunderland.
B&M balances expansion with store investment
B&M is continuing to grow its footprint despite the two closures.
It opened 41 new UK stores during the year to 28 March, resulting in 22 net additions, and has reiterated its long-term ambition to operate around 1,200 B&M stores across the country.
It expects to open between 25 and 35 gross new UK stores each year, supplemented by acquisitions when suitable retail portfolios become available.
However, chief executive Tjeerd Jegen has said the current financial year will be a period of investment as the business balances new store growth with upgrades to its existing formats under the second phase of its strategic plan.
B&M recently confirmed that group adjusted earnings fell 25.9 per cent to £459m and statutory pre-tax profit dropped 47.3 per cent to £227m.
B&M UK sales rose 2.9 per cent to £4.62bn, although like-for-like sales were broadly flat as it worked to sharpen prices, improve product availability and reduce the number of lines stocked across its grocery categories.
B&M currently operates 777 stores in the UK, alongside 135 shops in France and 343 Heron Foods and B&M Express locations.
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