Brand New B&M Store Creates 50 Jobs for Locals in Chartwell Square, Southend-On-Sea
15 March 2025
This morning at 8am on Saturday 15th March 2025, B&M store colleagues gathered to open their brand-new store in Chartwell Square, Southend-On-Sea, and welcome in their first customers.
The grand opening was marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting where store colleagues were joined by the local charity HARP Southend to commemorate the occasion and officially unveil the new store.
After taking possession of a former Wilko unit, the store has undergone an extensive internal and external refurbishment programme to bring the community of Southend-On-Sea a store they will love and be proud of, offering a space of 27,109sqft. filled with bargains to explore.
Customers can expect to find a wide variety of branded groceries for the best possible price including a range of food, drink, and pet food. There is also a fantastic selection of quality health and beauty products, homeware, electricals, DIY essentials, toys, games, gifts, and plenty more to explore.
Aside from an exciting boost to the local economy, the launch of this store has created 50 new jobs for local people and is situated in The Victoria Centre – a thriving local shopping centre in the heart of the city centre.
The store manager from B&M said: “We’re feeling extremely positive about the creation of more jobs for local people, and we hope customers are going to be delighted with their new store.”
Councillor Paul Collins, Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets and Investments also commented: “The arrival of B&M is fantastic news for Southend, bringing new jobs, increased footfall, and supporting businesses in and around The Victoria Centre.
“Since taking ownership of the centre, we’ve been committed to keeping it a key part of Southend’s retail and community landscape, and B&M’s decision to invest here is a strong vote of confidence in the city.
“The Victoria Centre is central to our regeneration plans for the city centre. B&M’s opening, alongside initiatives like The Bridge, which offers dynamic entrepreneurs a six-month rest-free period, highlights the potential of this space and our commitment to creating a vibrant, modern High Street for residents and visitors alike.
“We’ve already seen the centre thriving, most recently during Southend City Day, when it was packed with local organisations and charities promoting their services.”
To celebrate their brand-new store, B&M colleagues were asked to nominate a charity who they think deserves the spotlight for the hard work that they do in the community. They chose the team from HARP Southend to step into the spotlight and officially unveil the new store in all its glory.
HARP is a homeless charity that has pledged to reduce the need for rough sleeping in Southend, as well as developing and delivering services that support long-term recovery from homelessness. They want to contribute to the development of Southend’s community. They currently offer 264 units of accommodation and are working to increase this to meet the needs of the homeless in the area. They have an outreach team that works to bring these people into the accommodations and provide safe shelter. Not only do they provide accommodation, but they also work to help solve issues that could interfere with independent living, as well as work through the side effects of rough sleeping.
B&M’s store manager also remarked: “HARP really stood out for us, so we wanted to give them some VIP treatment as a thank you for all the hard work that they have done. We hope that our donation can help them to continue the great work they do.”
