A budget chain retailer has splashed £1million on a new store which is set to open this weekend.

Home Bargains is opening its new store at Mayflower Retail Park in Basildon at 8am on Saturday.

In total, the store will employ 69 team members, including some staff and management who will be transferring from other stores.

It will also be donating £2,000 to local charity St. Luke’s Hospice, which provides compassionate care to people whose illnesses are no longer curable.

Robyn Carlson, Corporate and Community Fundraising Manager for St. Luke’s Hospice, said: “Thank you so much to all of the staff at Home Bargains Mayflower Basildon for choosing to support St. Luke’s Hospice in celebration of your new store opening. Your generous donation of £2,000 will help us to continue to provide specialist palliative and end of life care to the communities we serve in Basildon, Thurrock and surrounding areas.”

The new Basildon store will join over 500 outlets across the UK. Opening approximately 50 stores a year, Home Bargains is bucking current trends in the industry.

Sam Steel, the new Basildon store manager, said: “It’s a huge honour to be opening our new Basildon store this weekend and something that I’m exceptionally proud of. I originally started my Home Bargains journey in Basildon as an assistant manager, just over 7.5 years ago. Since then I’ve held positions in our Southend and Romford stores, before returning to Basildon 2 years ago as store manager.

“The prospect of opening our new site, however, on Mayflower Retail Park alongside such a fantastic team has to be one of the highlights of career – and I’ve been working in the retail sector for 24 years!”

The 14,908 sq ft store, which has been newly developed, will offer shoppers a range of products, including homewares, health and beauty essentials, sweets, snacks and drinks, as well as fresh and frozen food.

Sam added: “Mayflower Retail Park will be a great location for us and we’re proud to be able to offer local people top-branded goods at exceptionally low prices.”

With more than five million customers each week, Home Bargains is one of the country’s best-loved discount retailers, stocking top-quality branded goods at low prices.