Matalan set to hire 1,800 staff

The first Matalan store opened in Preston

Discount retail chain Matalan said it has kicked off a recruitment drive to hire 1,800 staff.

The company, formed in Preston, Lancashire, said it was creating jobs "at a time when this is really needed for the UK".

The firm, which has 203 stores, is hiring 1,500 temporary staff for the festive period and 300 permanent employees for three new stores.

The new premises are in Greater Manchester, Morayshire and London.

Matalan's three new stores are set to be the first of a major expansion programme by the group, which could see as many as 100 extra stores opened in coming years.

The business, which was taken private in 2006 by a company controlled by the family of founder John Hargreaves, posted operating profits up 14% to £102m for the year to the end of February 2009.

Mr Hargreaves opened the first Matalan store in Preston in 1985, taking inspiration from low-price, out-of-town retailers in the US. By 1995 there were 50 stores across the UK.