The new branch of discount homeware superstore The Range is to open at 9am next Friday – June 2.

The store will be officially opened by Ipswich mayor Sarah Barber and will be the 140th branch of the retailer,which has stores across the UK and Ireland.

The project to transform the current site into a modern superstore, with 16 departments is nearly complete. Teams have been working round the clock to get the store ready for the big reveal next week.

The grand opening will start with giveaways for the first 50 people in the queue including a Summit Pinnacle five-person tent for the first in line.

The company’s mascot, Captain Range, will be attending to provide balloons and entertainment for the youngsters.

The celebrations are set to continue the following day with free face painting for children and a free craft demo by Trimcraft taking place in-store.

The new store is creating around 80 jobs, from warehouse staff and sales assistants to store and office managers.

Chris Dawson, the owner and founder of The Range, said: “Each store plays an important part in the success of our company and Anglia Park is no exception.

“It is really exciting to have reached 140 stores with many more in the pipeline. 2017 is going to be another busy year for The Range.

“We are very lucky with the staff we have and I look forward to welcoming the new team members to the company. I would like to invite the people of Ipswich to join us for the opening and discover the fantastic selection of products that we offer.”

The Range is a key element of the redevelopment of the Retail Park which is currently undergoing a transformation to become a major out-of-town shopping destination.

New stores for Go Outdoors, B&M, and Dunelm are due to open within the next few weeks – along with the new Bounce trampoline centre.

Some of the new stores are occupying the large unit that was a B&Q Superstore until last August – its closure prompted the retail park’s owners to redevelop the site with new retailers for the north west of the town.

The existing Range store at the Suffolk Retail Park is due to remain open, but will be converted into an “outlet” store selling heavily-discounted items at the end of their shelf-life.