More than 200 jobs are expected to be created in Banbridge with the development of a multi-million shopping complex by the supermarket chain Tesco. The centre will be on the former hockey club grounds at Castlewellan Road, which was bought by the Northern Ireland supermarket chain Stewarts for £1 million sterling two years ago. Earlier this year the Stewarts/Crazy Prices group was bought by Tesco, along with the Quinnsworth chain in the Republic for £630 million.

The Banbridge centre is the latest in a series of developments which are changing the face of retailing in Northern Ireland. It comes only a week after Safeway announced plans to build a 50,000-square-foot out-of-town superstore close to the M2 motorway on the outskirts of Antrim, to include a petrol station, retail warehousing, and drive-through restaurant.

Sainsbury, which recently got the go ahead to construct an outlet on the outskirts of Coleraine, is also planning to open a store in Craigavon shopping centre.

This week, in Carrickfergus, Tesco is unveiling the first of its rebranded Stewarts stores, while the co-op is opening its own £10 million superstore in the town.