TESCO has put in place a £50 million plan to convert all Quinnsworth outlets to Tesco stores by the year 2000; 12 will be revamped over the next six months. According to the company, the use of local contractors will be "maximised" and there will be substantial extra work available.

The conversion of the stores will be done on a store-by-store basis, in consultation with local customers.

The stores to be upgraded in the next six months are Santry, Tallaght (the Square), Artane Castle, Longford, Greystones, Mullingar, Douglas, Poleberry and Lisduggan, both in Co Waterford, and the two stores in Dundalk town.

The work will mean a complete rebranding of the stores to the Tesco label and most of the outlets are expected to expand substantially. Tesco says changes to existing supermarkets will involve radical new features more associated with its British stores, including things like separate retail space for selling cassettes and CDs, and extra checkouts.

Most of the contracting work will be subject to tendering procedures, not used before by Quinnsworth. Tesco is already using its own approved contractors guide book, drawn up by members of the Irish Trade Board.

A number of contractors and business associations are asking how many Irish companies will be taken on as contractors. During the work on the first Tesco store to open in the Republic, in Athlone, several British contractors were awarded contracts.

"If Irish contractors are able to measure up in terms of price and quality, then we have no problem doing business with them," said a Tesco spokesman.

Several new stores are also planned for Dublin, Cork and Waterford over the next year and the company is said to be "very interested" in retail space which could accommodate one of its stores.