Major retail chain confirms 45 new stores across the UK - is one opening near you?

B&M has said it plans to open 45 new stores across Britain this year, with some of the locations already revealed.

In an update, B&M unveiled 16 locations for new stores, including Antrim, Doncaster and Winsford. Some will be opening in a matter of weeks.

Other locations where new B&M stores will be opening this year include Bridgend, Chatham and Cromer.

B&M's fresh store expansion comes after the success of its 45 new store openings in 2024.

The full list of 45 locations for new store openings is yet to be revealed, but shoppers can keep checking the retailer's website for any updates.

The openings come despite a slip in UK sales. In a B&M trading update this week, it said its like-for-like sales across Britain fell by 3.1 per cent to £4.5billion in the year to 29 March and were down 2.4 per cent in the final 12 weeks.

But across the wider group, B&M unveiled a 3.7 per cent increase in sales to £5.6billion in the year, with new store openings and a positive performance in France helping to offset a weaker performance in Britain.

B&M shares are down 12 per cent this year and 37 per cent over the past 12 months, having tumbled from a recent high at the end of 2023.

On its 45 store openings in the last year, the group said: 'These new stores are performing in line with our expectations and are generating strong returns.'

B&M said its garden, toys, paint and stationery categories underpinned performance for its British operations.

B&M said it was 'making progress' in its quest to find a new chief executive.

Retailers have been hit with a barrage of rising costs and taxes. Following Labour's Budget in October, employer national insurance contributions have increased, as has the national minimum wage.

Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q and Screwfix, saw its most recent annual profit fall over 25 per cent to £568million.

Discount chain B&M agreed to buy dozens of shops from the collapsed retailer Wilko in September 2023.

Wilko fell into administration in August 2013 as it battled with sharp losses and a cash shortage.

In February, fashion chain Quiz crashed into administration with the closure of 23 stores and the loss of almost 200 jobs.

The clothing retailer called in administrators before its founding Ramzan family bought back 42 shops, saving around 1,300 jobs.

In March, it was revealed that WH Smith, a staple of UK town centres since the Victorian era, is set to disappear from British high-streets after the firm agreed to sell its shops to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital.

The new owner said it will keep the Post Office outlets that operate in many branches, but will rebrand the chain as TGJones.

The WH Smith name is not being sold and will still be used at travel hub outlets that are not for sale.

Last week, the Post Office said it was selling 108 crown branches which are currently directly owned and run by the company.

It will hand over the 108 remaining directly-owned branches to franchisees by the autumn.

Around 1,000 staff working in these branches will be offered a choice to move to work for any new owner or take voluntary redundancy, the Post Office said.