ALMOST 800 people have applied for 85 jobs at Bournemouth’s new Tesco store.

The supermarket giant, which is moving into the former Borders unit in Bourne Avenue, has also announced that the shop will open its doors at 8am on Monday, January 17.

The store, which will be branded as a Tesco Metro, received 791 applications for the posts, bosses said.

Although the figures reflect the reality of a tough post-recession jobs market, president of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Nigel Hedges, welcomed the “renowned employer”.

He said: “Obviously if they had no applications we would be living in a non-recession utopia.

“It’s an employer and Tesco would not be coming here if there was not a need, because if there was not a need they would not make any money.

“It’s a big store to fill and it needed to be filled. It’s creating employment and getting the lights on in a prime unit.

“With high profile employers like that there’s always going to be a lot of applications,” he said.

Store manager, Steve Thomson, said he was “overwhelmed” with the response to the recruitment drive.

He said: “In this time of economic uncertainty, it is great that we are able to create jobs and help people get back into work.

“All new recruits are currently finishing a series of training programmes to get them ready for the store’s opening.

“We are currently preparing for the launch of the new store and look forward to playing an active role in the local community.”

The number of shoppers in Bournemouth town centre has been falling and there is hope Tesco will prove a big draw.

Thanks to the large size of the former Borders unit, the shop is set to offer a larger range of goods than the Tesco in the Triangle, including homeware, DVDs, books and games, as well as hot food counters alongside all the usual essentials.

The store will open 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm Sundays.