EAST Lancashire based company Bensons for Beds has announced it will be opening eight new stores before Christmas.

The company, which has a large warehouse in Huncoat Industrial Estate, has said three of these will be new stores, while five will be relocated into new premises.

Chief executive Mark Jackson said: “The new openings and relocations are an essential part of our transformation plans as we invest in our store portfolio to give customers the best possible experience.

“Over the last 12 months we’ve made huge strides in our transition into a new company, and we’ve laid the foundations for growth through our continued investment in all aspects of the business."

All the new stores will be open by December 17, with each new opening seeing Bensons’ purple carpet welcoming customers who will also receive an additional 10 per cent off items brought over each stores opening weekend.

The news comes at a good time for the Accrington firm, who last year became a standalone company following £25million investment from investment firm Alteri, which saw a restructure in the company take place.