A BRANCH of Primark rival, Pep&Co, has opened inside the new Poundland store.

The Church Square Shopping Centre store, which offers full ranges from both shops, opened at 9am today on the former BHS unit and has already had more than 250 visitors.

The Poundland shop has moved from the Church Street site, formerly Woolworths and includes a full range of women's, men's and kids' fashion from its sister company.

Offerings include £1 baby grows and school polos which Church Square bosses hope it will attract parents and drive footfall, which has dipped since the closure of BHS.

Customer and mum-of-one Kayleigh Mather, 28 said: “I think the clothes are worth the money and there’s a lot of choice here and often cheaper clothing shops like this hasn’t got such a large range of stuff.

“Having somewhere where clothes, particularly children’s stuff, is affordable in the town centre is brilliant.

“Even if you buy seven t-shirts for £1.50 that’s not breaking the bank, I was so surprised when we walked in, I think it’s great for the town.”

Steve Brogan, Church Square Centre manager, said: “We are delighted to welcome two recognisable brands in Poundland and Pep&Co to Church Square.

“This is such a great addition to our growing range of stores, especially ones that are so focussed on delivering value for money to its customers.

“As a centre, we work hard on attracting the right brands and with the arrival of Poundland and Pep&Co, it is an ongoing demonstration of the strength in confidence national retailers have in the centre.

“We are committed to providing a wide and varied range of stores for the people of St Helens and the arrival of two popular high street retailers further strengthens that commitment.”