Tesco take on 450 staff

The Tesco Extra store in Foxoak Street, Cradley Heath, will open on September 24.

Store manager George King said that the recruitment programme has been a huge success. The new 60,000 sq ft store has taken on local staff for jobs from section managers to checkout personnel and aims to attract 80,000 shoppers a week to Cradley Heath.

Mr King said: "It is wonderful to see people taking up a career with Tesco, and the response has been excellent.

"Tesco offers a full training programme to support both full and part-time workers and offers flexible working hours.

"The new positions are real jobs for the local community and will be taken up by local people."

In addition to the grocery section, the new store will include a large home entertainment department, an in-store bakery with freshly baked bread, a clothing department, four self-service checkouts, petrol station and a Tesco Direct delivery service for people in a rush. On the back of the Tesco investment the nearby Big Market is expected to see a £1 million investment from owners Agra which will be used to update the tired 1960s building.

Peter Cope, manager of the Big Market, said: "Because of Tesco coming the owners see that as being a huge boost to the town.

"In meetings with Tesco they have said they expect around 80,000 visitors week to come to the town, which is more than double the amount we have coming at the moment."

Some traders have expressed concerns that the market trade could be badly affected by Tesco but Mr Cope said these critics were "backward thinking" and said there has been a market on the site since 1922.

Plans have already been passed to knock down and rebuild the 'shabby' entrance to the market. Plans for the 24-hour Tesco were passed in December 2005 and a young Stourbridge sculptor was selected to design a £50,000 centrepiece which will go in front of the store when it opens.

A further Tesco development is planned for West Bromwich as part of ambitious plans for the town.