Debenhams seeks 50 new staff for new Monks Cross store

11:20am Thursday 14th August 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

HIGH street retailer Debenhams will open its second York store next summer – with around 50 new jobs set to be created.

The chain will move into the site at Monks Cross Shopping Park which is to be vacated by computer firm PC World when it switches to a new purpose-built home on the edge of the city.

And Debenhams has reiterated its commitment to keeping its existing store in Davygate, the future of which was thrown into doubt last year when plans to slice it into smaller units were submitted, although the company is still believed to be looking at the possibility of newer premises in the city centre.

The new Monks Cross store is expected to welcome its first shoppers next June, with a spokesman saying: “We’re obviously very excited about our latest store in York.

“Not only will we be creating around 50 jobs, but Monks Cross will provide us with another opportunity in the city to stock our unique Designers and Debenhams ranges.”

Debenhams has previously said it would be interested in opening a new city centre store as an eventual replacement for its Davygate operation should the long-awaited Coppergate II complex come to fruition.

The room for the company to move in at Monks Cross will be created by PC World leaving its current base there for a new 25,000sq ft store at Clifton Moor Retail Park, which is set to open in November in time for the Christmas shopping season.

Monks Cross centre manager Katherine Sharp said: “While we’re sorry to see PC World go, we’re looking forward tremendously to having Debenhams here.

“It’s great for us to have such an excellent name coming to Monks Cross and we’re also pleased that Debenhams is keeping its city centre store, so what we will have at the shopping park will not detract from that.”