A CLOTHING and homeware brand is closing two of its shops in York and moving to one new store on the outskirts of the city.

Homesense and its sister company, TK Maxx, are both shutting stores - Homesense at Foss Islands Retail Park, and TK Maxx their existing store at Monk’s Cross and opening in a new store on the main retail park at Monk’s Cross.

The plan is for the existing stores to remain open in their current locations until March 18 and then for the new store to reopen the following day, Thursday, March 19.

The new store is in the former Outfit shop at Unit 10a Monks Cross Shopping Park and doors open at 10am on March 19.

Homesense has been at it’s current home for almost a decade and back in 2010, they took the the last remaining unit at Foss Islands Retail Park.

Ground Force presenter Tommy Walsh was at the store for the opening ceremony.

The store which, like TK Maxx, specialises in offering branded goods at discounted prices, employed 35 full and part-time staff when it first opened.

A member of staff at the store said: “We are closing and re-locating to Monk’s Cross.

“The current TK Maxx is not on the main retail park there and the new store is right in the centre of things.

“We will be open here in Foss Islands right until the day before the new store opens and there will be a sale so people should definitely still come along and shop with us.”

TK Maxx, also has a second store in York city centre in Coney Street, and that opened in September 2010.

At the time the fashion retailer let the former Boots store which had been empty since July 2008, when Boots moved to the vacated former Woolworths store nearby.