A NEW shop has opened in a large empty retail unit in York city centre.

The former Topshop building in the Coppergate Centre is now home to a pop-up discount women's fashion retailer.

The ground floor of the building has been opened to the public in the run up to Christmas.

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Topshop closed in early 2021 after online fashion retailer Asos took over the business from collapsed retail empire Arcadia but said the deal did not include the company’s stores.

‘To let’ signs went up at the building and it has laid empty ever since.

Soon after TopShop closed, Coppergate Centre manager, Pippa Unwin, said the team at TopShop, TopMan and Miss Selfridge, had been a big part of the Coppergate Centre for many years.

As The Press previously reported, plans by Roxy Lanes to convert York’s former Topshop building in the Coppergate Centre were given the green light for a premises licence by city councillors in 2021.

At the time, several residents of flats in Piccadilly wrote to City of York Council opposing the application on the grounds of potential noise, nuisance and anti-social behaviour, but councillors approved the plans.

The plan was for the entrance to the venue to be via St Mary’s Square, with Piccadilly only serving as a fire exit and only the ground floor of the building being used by Roxy Lanes.

But that was before Roxy Ball Room changed their mind on the location and opted to open across the city centre in Stonebow House.

A pop-up discount women's fashion shop has opened in the former Topshop store in the Coppergate CentreA pop-up discount women's fashion shop has opened in the former Topshop store in the Coppergate Centre (Image: Haydn Lewis)