New signs have gone up announcing the arrival of B&M Bargains in Blackburn town centre.

The store will take up the spot vacated by Wilko in King William Street which went into administration last year.

The Mall said it is ‘delighted’ to be welcoming the brand to the prime spot next to the Town Hall, as it returns to the town centre after closing before the Covid-19 lockdown.

The news comes as a huge boost for The Mall, which also revealed a new Coffeepedia café had taken up the spot vacated by Costa Coffee near the bus station.

Ramsdens Currency Exchange had also moved into a location near the clock tower entrance.

In a further major announcement, the Trespass store which said to be closing inside the Mall will now stay open.

A spokesperson for the Adhan Group, which owns the Mall, said: “It is something we have worked hard on to secure for a number of months now and it is fantastic to see a large scale letting within the town centre complete at the start of the year.

“The new store will be completely refitted, and this is going to be welcome boost for Blackburn shopping centre.

“It will be a bright and vibrant new store and we are delighted to be welcoming the well-known B&M brand to the town centre. We think it is a right fit the town.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

The company said it would be making more announcements for the Mall in the coming month.

The spokesperson added: “This is on the back of further announcements in the coming weeks where we will be welcoming more high street brands to the centre of town.

“Work has already begun inside the unit and we are an expecting an update on both the opening date within the next few weeks.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Work is already underway within the interior of the site

It will become the seventh B&M store to open in East Lancashire and the second in Blackburn, joining the current store at the Peel Centre, which has been shut since a fire last year.

It also has stores in Accrington, Burnley, Colne, Bacup and Rawtenstall.

Wilko entered administration in the Autumn leaving all 400 stores and 12,500 employees at risk.

Administrators at PwC were forced to sell off Wilko’s assets after failing to secure a rescue deal for the whole business.

While more than 250 Wilko stores have or will close there are a number of sites across the UK that have been saved and will relaunched under a new high street brand.

The location was one of the most sought after spots in town and was home to British Home Stores for many years.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Growth and Development, Councillor Quesir Mahmood said: “This is good news and means that the former Wilko building hasn’t been empty for long.

"Following the fire at B&M in Blackburn Retail Park last year the store remained closed so the re-opening will be a welcomed boost for the town.

"Shoppers will now get the chance to visit the store directly in the town centre which is really good news, bringing more people into Blackburn as well as creating jobs for local people, which is always positive.”