RETAIL parks off the A127 are continuing to buck the recession after another two chains announced their arrival.

Costa coffee has just opened its store on the Mayflower retail park in Basildon, while Pets at Home has announced it will open another branch in the area at the Pipps Hill retail park on March 22.

The new stores will create local jobs and come just a few months after Marks and Spencer opened its new food store on the Mayflower estate.

A spokeswoman for Costa coffee said its new store would create between six and ten jobs.

She said: “We strongly believe coffee shops like Costa have a role to play in local investment and employment.

“We’re delighted to be opening a new Costa store at the Mayflower Retail Park.

“We work closely with planning departments across the country to open new stores for the benefit of their local communities, creating new jobs and providing attractive and popular social meeting places.

“When we open in a new location we do all we can to integrate ourselves with the local community, getting involved with events, providing the store as a meeting space and helping with fundraising.”

The £390,000 Pets at Home store will go into a unit previously occupied by Poundstretcher, creating nine new jobs.

It will be the company’s second local store, the other is in Pitsea, and will offer thousands of products for dogs, cats, small animals, reptiles, chickens, birds, fish and wildlife.

There will also be a groom room and companion care veterinary surgery housed in the 6,000sq ft store.