MORE than 100 jobs will be created when a discount department store opens its doors in Southend next month.

TJ Hughes has announced it’s opening a new 22,000 sq ft store at the old Woolworths site in the High Street.

The Liverpool-based company has invested almost £3million in the two-storey shop.

Chris McKeown, sales director for the company, said: “We are delighted to confirm we are opening a new store in August and we are in the middle of the refit.

“We are certain the people of Southend will enjoy shopping at TJ Hughes. We are the UK’s only discount department store, with a wide range of products across home, textiles, beauty & fragrance, menswear, lingerie, toys and electrical.”

The shop, in High Street, has been empty since December 2008, when Woolworths went into administration.

Ian Robertson, councillor responsible for enterprise, tourism and regeneration, welcomed the new store.

He said: “This is just the sort of thing we want in the town. This is really good news for Southend.

“We are working all the time to attract potential investors for Southend, but these things take time. There are some successes, as this testifies.

“We need to give them a warm welcome to the town and hope that they attract other business to come here as well.”

Both the ground and first floor will be used, with escalators installed between the levels. Work will also be carried out to the outside of the building