A national tool supplier is set to open a new store in Beccles next week, bringing seven new jobs to the town.

Toolstation is opening the store in part of the former Beales department store on Smallgate as part of a drive to open more than 60 new branches in 2021.

New store manager Rachel Higgins said: "We are pleased to be opening the new branch and supporting local tradespeople, DIYers and home builders with tools and more in Beccles.

"We recognise the importance of challenging times and our knowledgeable team are committed to providing local customers with a reliable and convenient service for the essentials they need to tackle any task.”

The store will stock a wide range of leading brands and trade products to provide trade, DIYers, and homebuilders with tools and more.

The store officially opens on Monday, October 18 at the rear of the former Beales store, which previously housed a Co-Operative Travel branch.

Following the collapse of Beales, the branch moved into the nearby iconic former Morlings music store in New Market, opening in November 2021 - just three days before the second national lockdown forced them to close until April 2021.

Beales, whose shop in Beccles ran from 22 to 30 Smallgate, went into administration in January 2020, before shutting their doors for good just weeks later in mid-March.

The closure came two weeks sooner than planned, with bosses saying the impact of Covid-19 on the retail environment meant trading could no longer be supported.

The majority of Beales' 1,000 employees across the country, including in Beccles, were made redundant as a result of the collapse.

Customers at the Beccles branch will be able to try out Toolstation's new customer app where, once signed in, they can find and order products with real-time stock availability.

Customers can choose to click and collect in as little as five minutes.

The store will be open seven days a week, Monday to Friday from 7am to 8pm, Saturday from 7am to 7pm, and Sunday from 9am to 4pm.