A hundred jobs could be created in two stores as part of an expansion plan by a supermarket chain.

Asda at Hollingbury and Brighton Marina are two of the stores that will benefit from the supermarket giant's plan to create 3,000 jobs nationally over the next three years.

More than 50 jobs will be created at the Hollingbury store when it opens four specialist outlets, including an opticians, jewellers, photo shop and a new pharmacy.

The new outlets are part of an expansion plan which will see the store in Crowhurst Road grow from 47,000sqft to 67,000sqft by February next year.

An Asda Hollingbury spokesman said: "We will be recruiting locally for positions ranging from checkout operators to opticians.

"We are already doing really well but we expect the specialist outlets to bring more business to the store. We are also in the process of increasing the range of general merchandise, including sports and clothing."

Meanwhile, Asda Brighton Marina is in the process of securing three specialist outlets, including an opticians, jewellers and photo shop, which could mean the creation of up to 50 jobs.

Asda Brighton Marina spokesman Darren Evans said: "If we sign up the specialist outlets it would create about 20 to 25 new jobs. If this attracted more people to the store we could be looking at a total of about 50 new positions.

"We are just waiting until the store returns to normal after the cliff fall. We will be looking into getting planning permission to expand the floor space or alternatively we may convert the area upstairs.

"There is definitely a demand for specialist outlets. Customers will soon be able to buy everything from a small item to a diamond ring for a £1,500."

During the next month, the Asda chain will start its biggest-ever recruitment advertising campaign for professionals in magazines such as The Optician and at universities across the UK.

Asda currently has more than 100 stores-within-stores in the UK employing about 900 people, but plans to add 461 by the end of 2004. An spokesman said UK specialist sales had been "extremely strong" since the divisions' launch last year.