Supermarket giant Asda is to open a new store in the city next year, but it won’t sell food.

The Asda Living store at Templars Retail Park, Cowley, will create up to 80 full and part-time jobs and sell electrical goods and the George clothing range.

Building work is expected to finish in time for a mid-April opening, and managers are already being recruited.

Mr Raichura said most staff would be recruited through JobcentrePlus about 12 weeks before opening. It replaces a Comet electrical store which closed in September.

Oxford city councillors recently approved plans to impose parking charges at the retail park, despite concerns.

Cowley councillor Bryan Keen said charges were needed to deter people from parking there all day, and the first 30 minutes would remain free.

He added: “In time I can see the shops refunding parking charges on a purchase by knocking something off at the till.”

Mr Raichura could not comment on what Asda’s attitude might be to parking charge refunds. The first Asda Living store opened in Walsall in the West Midlands in 2004. Asda describes the new-format shops, based in retail parks, as “small department stores”.