A FAMILY-run Hereford retailer has bought the former Freedom Church in Coningsby Street to expand its online business.

Philip Morris and Son in Widemarsh Street has bought the building in Hereford, which is across the road from its current warehouse.

Brothers John and Bruce Jones have steered the business through a transformation from traditional retail store to specialist online retailers and have seen a substantial and sustained growth in recent years.

Bruce, who oversees the pick, pack and despatch operations, said: "During 2015 we’ve seen a 40 percent increase in the volume of orders being despatched, which stretched the capacity of our current warehousing to the limit.

"The additional new facility will allow us to continue to expand in the coming years, without compromising on the high standards of customer service we set ourselves."

The 14,000 square feet building will primarily be used for packing and shipping internet orders, as well as long-term storage and goods in processing.

Customer service and marketing teams will also be relocated from their current offices in Widemarsh Street, allowing the team's growth, with six to eight new jobs being created in the next 12 months.

John, who manages the marketing team, said: "The recent success of the business has been driven by the knowledge and expertise developed by our marketing team, with a particular emphasis on digital marketing knowledge.

"The current offices restrict any further expansion of this team, so we’re obviously delighted to have the space to recruit further specialist skills into the team."

He said the move was planned by the directors in the spring of 2015, and after protracted negotiations and planning hurdles the deal was completed earlier this month.

Work will now begin for the business to begin relocating key processes from early spring.

The Freedom Church moved to the former Odeon cinema and adjacent Fusion nightclub in November, leaving the building in Coningsby Street empty.