SUPERMARKET firm Asda has unveiled plans to create 8,000 new jobs and open at least 18 new stores during the next 12 months.
Asda, which has a store at Bradford Road in Brackenhall, Huddersfield, will also expand 15 existing stores and extend its Asda Living non-food stores to 10 more sites.
Asda Living outlets are generally on out-of-town retail parks and provide electrical goods, furniture, George clothing, health and beauty products, mobile phones and homeware.
Asda Living stores will open in Belfast tomorrow and in Oldham in April.
Eight more will be confirmed later in the year.
About 4,000 new jobs will be created with the store expansion programme.
The others will result from store extensions and recruitment at stores where customer numbers have risen.
Leeds-based Asda opened 25 new stores last year to create 7,000 new jobs. It now has 334 stores UK-wide.
