AN online flooring specialist has continued its bricks and motar expansion strategy by investing £160,000 and creating five new jobs with the opening a new store in Newport - its first in Wales.

Flooring Superstore officially opened a 6,000-square foot store on the town’s East Retail Park.

Newport is the seventh, and biggest, store, the company has opened in the UK in less than a year, with eight more to follow over the next six months.

Previous stores have featured sister brands Direct Wood Flooring; a leading wood flooring specialist and Grass Direct; the UK’s largest selection of artificial grass. Newport is the first store to include the Flooring Superstore brand.

Flooring Superstore is unique in selling not only quality carpets but also providing a huge range of other flooring, such as laminate and vinyl tiles at incredibly low prices. The brand holds a formidable online presence which will support them as they shift from purely e-commerce, to building their physical presence.

Manager Nick Jones said: “We are delighted to have opened in Newport and are looking forward to welcoming people to the new store.

“Traditionally, other flooring retailers specialise in either carpets or hardwood flooring, by uniting all of our brands we can offer a one-stop-shop for all your flooring needs. It gives people a much wider choice and reflects the fact that householders are now likely to have multiple flooring choices in their home.

“Visitors to the store will also be able to view the huge range of artificial grass we stock. There is a growing trend in this area as people move away from real grass to something which is much easier to maintain and looks great all year round.”

The company started out as an online retailer in 2012. With combined annual turnover of £24m, this is predicted to rise to £35m in 2019, as they open more stores and continue to push their brands.

Retail operations manager Chris Barber said: “This year we will be opening stores in towns and cities across the UK, including Edinburgh, York and Leeds.

“With Newport now open, we are now also planning other stores in Wales in the next few years.

“We are experiencing tremendous growth whilst still being able to bring online pricing to the high street, which sets us apart from our competitors.

“And we are pleased to be able to invest in towns like Newport, creating employment opportunities for local people.”