WITHAM residents have an eye for a bargain, according to bosses at a discount shop which opens in the former Woolworths store today.

The 99p Stores chain claim cheap is the new chic and were expecting hundreds to be waiting to fly through the doors when they opened at 9am.

Three months since the town's Woolworths, in The Grove Centre, closed its door for the last time with the loss of 41 jobs, 30 jobs have been created at the budget store, where merchandise includes bikinis for – you guessed it – 99 pence.

"It's a sign of the times – the face of the High Street has now changed for ever," said Hussein Lalani, 99p Stores commercial director.

"We are absolutely delighted to be opening a new store in Witham. When we opened our very first UK store at the start of the millennium our customers were bargain hunters. Now they come from every sector of society and every single one of them is welcome.

"We expect this trend to continue in Witham."

The Witham outlet is the firm's 72nd store to open since 2001.

Meanwhile shoppers in Braintree will be staring at an empty Woolworths shop front for a bit longer.

The Woolworths store in Bank Street was one of 51 of the failed high street giant's shops bought by Iceland in January, but the firm have said the frozen food store is not due to open until September.