THE opening date for Bradford's new TJ Hughes store has been confirmed.

The shop, in the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, will officially open its doors on April 11 at 10am. 

The opening will see the retailer return to the city several years after its store in Sunwin House on Godwin Street closed.
 

The discount department store chain is set to open a new 32,000 sq ft store in the former WH Smiths and neighbouring Officers Club and Suit Company shops on Westgate Mall and Darley Mall.

When the news was first announced in September last year, Jason Harmer, chief operating officer at TJ Hughes, said: “It gives me great pleasure and excitement to rekindle the relationship between TJ Hughes and the Bradford community.

"The city is one of the largest and finest in the UK and our brand has previously traded strongly here.

"I am hopeful that people will remember our brand fondly and that the opening of our new department store benefits the City as a whole by bringing more shoppers back to the high street.

"We will as before bring big brands at great value to our Bradford customers.”

The TJ Hughes department store in Sunwin House - which it took over from the Co-Operative group - closed on August 31, 2011, after the national chain went into administration.

More than 50 jobs were lost at the city centre department store after attempts to find a buyer failed.

TJ Hughes was bought out of administration by Endless, a British private equity firm, which has expanded the company's chain of stores.