Retail chain Heron Foods is to open a new branch in York.
The company is moving into the old Peacocks clothes shop in Front Street, Acomb, which closed in October.
Signs have gone up in the window, and the company is advertising for staff.
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Heron has 250 stores around the UK but only one other in York, in Burton Stone Lane. It previously had a branch on the ground floor of Stonebow House in the city centre – now home to the Co-op.
The chain is owned by budget retailer B&M, which has experienced a surge in sales and profits since the start of the pandemic. In June, it announced plans to open 15 new Heron Foods shops nationally, as well as 45 new B&M stores.
Peacocks in Front Street closed in October after more than 20 years in Acomb, following a year of difficulty. Its closure was initially announced in October 2020, after its parent company, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, went into administration.
B&M has enjoyed increased growth over the past two years. Retail analysts have suggested that many people used the company’s shops for the first time during lockdown, when they remained open as essential retailers, and had since become regular shoppers.
YorkMix has asked the company when the Acomb shop is due to open, and is awaiting a reply. Vacancies are currently being advertised at heronjobs.com
The company says: “Since joining forces with B&M we have continued with our ambitious and exciting growth plans, now with over 300 stores and with new store openings month-by-month. Heron Foods offers the opportunity to work within a rewarding environment with excellent development opportunities.”