Clothing and homeware retailer Next is preparing to amalgamate two of its stores to form one giant superstore, creating 47 jobs.
The company plans to close its branches at Lombardy Retail Park and Hayes Bridge Retail Park – less than a mile apart from one another in Hayes – and replace them with the new outlet.
The new superstore is on track to open at Lombardy Retail Park, in the unit formerly occupied by Kiddicare, in summer 2015.
Councillor Douglas Mills, Hillingdon Council's cabinet member for community, commerce and regeneration, said: "Hayes has undergone a real transformation over the last few years and we are seeing more large retailers wanting to base themselves there.
“We are very pleased to see more jobs being created and I expect retail opportunities such as this will encourage more people to shop locally too."
The new, 3,602m² store will house both home and fashion departments, as well as a café.
The opening will create a net total of 47 jobs, from sales staff to management positions.
Both existing stores are expected to close around a week before the new opening, the date of which has yet to be confirmed.
The 1,350m² clothing store at Lombardy Retail Park, in Coldharbour Lane, employs 113 staff, while the 1,200m² home store on Hayes Bridge Retail Park, in Uxbridge Road, employs 29.
However, all employees at the affected stores will be offered the chance to relocate to the new branch, the company has said.
The move has been made possible after the council granted planning permission for changes at the unit previously home to Kiddicare.
Next Group PLC plans to divide the building into two units, as well as building a new entrance and installing a 2,415m² mezzanine.
The company has more than 500 stores across the UK and Ireland, and almost 200 more around the world. In the year to January 2014 it turned over £3.7billion.
