MORE than 100 new full and part-time jobs will be created when a Next store opens at the Orbital Retail Park by the end of the year.

Recruitment for the manager level positions are already underway with the majority of vacancies for shop staff coming up in late September.

The new store will be four times larger than the one in Regent Street, which will stay.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "What will be different about the new store is that not only will it sell men's, women's and child-ren's wear, but also, for the first time in Swindon, Next home products.

"This a very exciting time for Next in Swindon, which is a booming town and we feel we have much to offer its residents.

"We are confident that the new shop will be a huge success."

Next is one of the great retail success stories, bucking the trend of poor results and shrinking markets experienced by other competitors.

Results for the year to January, showed turnover up 18 per cent to £1,872 million, and pre-tax profits up 22 per cent to £266 million.

The first Next store opened in February 1982 with an exclusive co-ordinated collection of stylish clothes, shoes and accessories for women. Collections for men, children and everything for the well dressed home followed.

Today Next trades from more than 330 stores in the UK and Eire and 49 stores overseas.

Over the past 18 months several larger format stores have opened in the UK, including Bluewater Park, Middlesbrough, Bromley, Norwich and Belfast.

The largest store opened in Liverpool 2001, but this will be superseded this summer with the opening of their new Cardiff store.