IPSWICH is today optimistic of a jobs boost, after electrical retailer Dixon's Group signed up for a large premises in the town.The company is due to move into a large part of the former C&A store in the Buttermarket shopping centre after leasing the property.

IPSWICH is today optimistic of a jobs boost, after electrical retailer Dixon's Group signed up for a large premises in the town.

The company is due to move into a large part of the former C&A store in the Buttermarket shopping centre after leasing the property.

The move is welcome news for the complex, which earlier this week had to endure the bombshell of the impending closure of its Allders' store due to financial problems.

Manager of the Buttermarket shopping centre Colin Roberts confirmed Dixon's Group has leased a unit on the premises.

He said: "The lease was officially accepted on February 5 and Dixon's Group are now the tenants of the store."

The unit the group has taken encompasses a total area of approximately 17,000 square foot.

Although there will be an entrance on the ground floor of the shopping complex, the main part of the store will be on the first floor.

Mr Roberts said: "Approximately 1,000 sq ft will be on the ground floor, 14,000 sq ft on the first floor and 2,000 sq ft in storage.

"We are hopeful it will probably be an Easter opening.

"It is sad that the timing happened on the day we heard the news about Allders, but it is great news that Dixon's Group is coming."

However the company, which owns Dixon's, Curry's, PC World and The Link, today remained tight-lipped over what it will do with the two-storey shop.

A spokeswoman for the group said: "Exactly what the future will be, I can't tell you at this stage. It's too early to say."

Although it was expected to be one of its massive electrical xL superstores, there is a possibility other brand names in the group could still move in. It is known that Curry's in particular is looking to re-establish a presence in town and city centres after a move towards stores on their outskirts.

The first Dixon's xL 'outsize' store was opened in Cardiff in 2002.

On average, each xL store is six times as large as a traditional Dixon's.

Last month the group announced it would be creating 2,200 store-based jobs this year.

The key regions of the UK due to benefit are London with 185 jobs, the South East with 135 and East Anglia with 95.

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