THE branch of Poundland at Newport's Spytty Retail park is re-opening this week.

The Poundland in Newport's Kingsway Centre re-opened earlier this month, and now the chain has announced another 26 of its stores will open their doors this week, including the branch in Spytty.

The discount retailer said trade will resume in the stores again this week after 51 shops reopened last week.

Poundland said that while it had kept most of its stores open for essential shopping, around 100 were temporarily shut in March.

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The closed shops were largely where there was another Poundland nearby or where shopping centres found it difficult to remain open, it added.

Managing director Barry Williams said: “As an essential retailer, we’ve continued to support customers in hundreds of towns – especially those who manage their budgets week-to-week and find it difficult to bulk buy.

“And our store colleagues have done much more than their day job. They’ve also played a vital role, delivering care packages to other frontline workers and those in need in their communities.

“But even though we’ve kept serving customers, we know we’re at our best as part of a vibrant thriving high street and that’s why we’re looking forward to our neighbours reopening in the coming weeks.

“Healthy town centres are the lifeblood of our economy and our communities.

“It may have been tough for many retailers before this crisis and it’s more important than ever that we make sure we encourage customers to say hi to their high streets as we return to business-as-unusual.”

Poundland said it was working closely with shopping centre landlords to reopen the last of its closed stores as soon as possible.

The reopened stores will have “robust” health and safety measures in place like all the stores that have remained open, it added.

These include door marshals, floor markers to help maintain social distancing, perspex screens at checkouts and no self-checkouts.

Poundland also said that staff will be expected to wash their hands every 20 minutes and key surfaces will be wiped down every hour.

The Poundland stores that will reopen are:

Barrow in Furness Hindpool Retail Park

Bedford

Bletchley Brunel Shopping Centre

Carlisle Scotch Street

Chester Old Sealand Retail Park

Christchurch

Crewe

Droylsden

Gateshead Team Valley Retail Park

Hammersmith King Street

Ilford The Mall

King’s Lynn Vancouver Shopping Centre

Luton 133 The Mall

Newport Spytty Retail Park

Nottingham Chilwell Retail Park

Ormskirk Two Saints Retail Park

Oswestry

Pontefract

Rotherham Parkgate Retail Park

Selly Oak Retail Park

Sutton Coldfield

Swansea Fforestfach Retail Park

Whitehaven

Wick Retail Park

Yardley Swan Shopping Centre

York Monks Cross Retail Park