B&M to open seven new branches within weeks after string of closures – is one coming to your area?

B&M is opening seven new branches across the UK within weeks.

The bargain retailer is relocating some of its existing stores to bigger premises as well as opening up in new locations.

This comes after the discount chain closed the doors for good on seven of its stores earlier in the year.

B&M's Bishop Auckland branch closed on May 5 and its Burnden Retail Park store in Bolton also closed for good on May 24.

At the start of the year, the shutters also went down on the following stores:

• Castlegate Shopping Centre, Stockton - Feb 25
• Maesglas Retail Park, Newport, Wales - March 4
• Boucher Road, Belfast - March 26
• Queens Drive Retail Park, Kilmarnock - March 26
• Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Bristol - March 29

However, the retailer is by no means sizing down, it has just relocated its Brunel Retail Park, Reading store to a much bigger and better site.

The new store is only a stone's throw away from the old site but it will be offering a bigger selection of bargains.

It will also have its own 7,395sq ft garden centre selling hundreds of plants and gardening products.

The current Rose Kiln Lane store will close on August 19, and the new premises will open on August 28.

Meanwhile, in the North East, plans for the opening of a new store in Stockton has been confirmed.

B&M closed down its town centre store last year and has finally confirmed it will be opening up in the former M&S building on the High Street, on September 14.

We also have the dates of further store openings listed below.

Full list of B&M store openings and relocations

• Reading (Aug 28) - relocation
• Stockton (September 14)
• Irvine, Scotland (August 12)
• Southport (August 16)
• Glasgow (August 26) - relaunch
• Switch Island, Liverpool - (September 9) - relaunch
• Eastbourne (September 14)
• Newbury (October 7)
• Gateshead (October 28) - relaunch
• Hinkley (September 23)
• Wigan (September 29)
• Leven Garden Centre (September 20) - garden centre only

B&M is not the only discount retailer that is expanding its number of stores.

Poundland has recently confirmed that it is opening 15 stores across the UK.

TK Maxx is also reportedly looking for new locations as part of expansion plans.

And Poundstretcher recently revealed plans to bring 50 new shops to the high street before the end of the year.