Bed specialist Dreams wants to open 50 stores in 2008 to take its portfolio to 220 by the end of the year.

In the past two years, Dreams has expanded by more than 50 per cent to 170 stores and established a strong presence in its key areas of northwest England and Scotland.

Dreams managing director Nick Worthington said: “The strength of the business means that we are ideally placed to push ahead with these major expansion plans and our history clearly demonstrates that we are capable of achieving these numbers. I am confident that we will achieve our growth objectives in 2008.”

Dreams performed strongly over the Christmas and Sales period, with like-for-likes up 5 per cent.

Worthington added: “We are trying hard not to be complacent, because this year only the strong will survive.”