A NEW retail shop is moving onto Bromsgrove retail park and opening its doors next month.

But the announcement has left some residents doubting whether Sainsbury's will ever build its 45,000 square foot store at the business park, opposite the Victoria Ground.

WHAT! Stores Ltd is moving into the former Focus DIY unit, opening to the public in mid to late October.

The firm has a number of branches nationally and is a variety retailer described by new Bromsgrove store manager, Barry Hughes, as a mixture of Wilko, The Range, Poundland and the former Woolworths.

Among the products it sells are furniture, DIY products, and products for pets, parties, the garden and camping.

Mr Hughes said opening the store in Bromsgrove was a good opportunity and he was confident it would be a success.

"We are looking to create up to 40 jobs, 28 of them full time," he said.

"I have already been at Bromsgrove job centre interviewing people."

The opening of the store has led to Sainsbury's again having to reaffirm its commitment to building its proposed new multi-million pound store on the site.

The supermarket giant gained planning permission for the proposed store in Birmingham Road, in 2010.

All the original traders on the site, including Lush and Focus, then ceased trading, apart from the Co-operative Food supermarket. But since then Co-operative invested in improving its store, while the YMCA charity moved into the former Lush store.

The speculation Sainsbury's was pulling out was dampened earlier this year when the Malthurst Texaco petrol station, previously based on the site, moved several metres up the road with BP and Spar branding.

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: “We have previously confirmed that the Bromsgrove Sainsbury’s is not on our construction programme for the next 15 months, but hope to be in a position to let the community know our schedule for its development as soon as possible.

"The lease for the site will allow the retail park to continue actively trading whilst including break clauses that will allow us to develop our store on the site when we are in a position to do so.”