Up to50 jobs will be created with the opening of a fashion clothing and homeware store in Southend's Royals shopping centre.

Designer clothes shop TK Maxx is gearing up to open the new store, which will be spread over two floors and fill some of the area previously occupied by the food court.

Store bosses said they have not decided on a specific date for opening the 20,000 square foot shop but it will be sometime in the spring.

The firm, which specialises in massive discounts on labels through bulk buying opened a similar-sized store in Basildon in 1998.

The new store will sell a range of men's, women's and children's clothes as well as household goods, gifts, well known high street labels and top designer gear.

A spokeswoman said: "We are aiming to create about 50 full-time and part-time jobs.

"It is part of a large expansion programme by the firm. We have opened 50 stores in the UK in the past five years."

The TK Maxx concept of no-nonsense selling was first started in the USA where the company owns 1,000 stores

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