A SUPERMARKET giant is to axe 49 jobs in the county after abandoning plans to open non-food department stores.

The Co-operative Group is abandoning plans to open a new chain of "home stores", a pilot branch of which was opened in Tunbridge Wells in October 2004.

It has blamed tough competition in non-food business - a key battleground for all supermarket companies - for the decision.

It was one of only two non-food stores in the country opened by the Co-op and was intended to test out a new direction for the business.

But a review of the trial has decided that it was not successful enough to be spread across the country and both pilot stores will now be shut.

Of the 49 jobs to be lost at the store in Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, 34 are part time. An additional 23 jobs will be lost at the other trial store, in Perth, Scotland, and seven jobs will be lost at the Co-op’s head office in Manchester.

The company spent £2million to open the 40,000 sq ft store. It was based on the site of a former Co-op Concepts store and was designed by Conran.

A spokesman for the Co-operative Group said: "This has been a very difficult decision for us, particularly as it involves regrettable job losses, but it is one we have made in the interests of the group.

"In reaching the decision, we have been mindful of several factors including the performance of the stores and the prognosis for the non-food sector in the context of an increasingly tough trading climate."

He added: "The long-term commitment required to the home stores concept has to be balanced against our declared business focus on the Group’s core activities."

The stores will be closed by February next year and the Co-op has said it will help those made redundant to find alternative employment.