Go Outdoors York in old John Lewis - Helen Skelton at launch

Go Outdoors opened their new Go York store at Vangarde on the outskirts of the city on August 23 ahead of a grand opening tomorrow (September 7).

The store, in the old John Lewis shop, is creating 42 new jobs with 28 employees joining from the old GO Outdoors York which opened at Foss Bank in 2011 and which has now closed.

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The shop opened last month (Image: Supplied)

Free goodie bags will be given away to the first 500 people entering the store on Saturday. Four goody bags will contain a silver ticket, with just one bag containing a golden ticket which will win an adventure pack worth over £3,000.

And also on Saturday GO Outdoors brand ambassador and TV presenter Helen Skelton will be at the store for a ribbon cutting is at 9am. She's be doing a question and answer session and drawing winners of a raffle in store too.

Nik Hodges, store manager at GO York, said:  “I am incredibly proud to have opened the biggest outdoor store in Europe, it’s been incredible to see the excitement build on social media from the people of York and beyond.

“The team are all looking forward to the opening event on Saturday and cannot wait to welcome customers to experience what our brand-new store has to offer. We truly believe it will be a day out for all the family, with events such as free climbing walls, a cooking class and even a Q&A with Helen Skelton.

“Not only is the store a great achievement for GO Outdoors, but we believe it will be a great boost for York too. We are thrilled with the response so far for the store, especially from the local community who have really reinforced our belief that York is the perfect location for our landmark store.

“My team will be on hand to help anyone who visits the store with any questions or queries, and we cannot wait to see everyone on Saturday.”

Helen Skelton will be at the store (Image: Helen Skelton)

The record breaking store boasts an astounding 125,000sq foot of space with over 380 brands, covering walking, camping & caravanning, watersports, running, fishing, horse riding, climbing, hosting over 30 branded concession areas including the biggest Yeti store in Europe as well as a new Garmin store with the most extensive range on display in the UK. 

The store hosts the first ever Adidas Terrex in store concession in the UK as well as Stanley’s largest store in Europe with the biggest range of products available. 

The new Go Outdoors is officially being opened in York this weekend (Image: Supplied)

Deb O'Donnell, Centre Manager at Vangarde Shopping Centre, said: “The new GO Outdoors store is a welcome addition to the Vangarde shopping centre. Not only does it provide a dedicated space for our outdoor-loving customers, but also provides a community hub where customers can relax, meet and enjoy their shopping time. We are excited to open the doors to Europe’s biggest outdoor retail store and welcome our new customers to the GO Outdoors York store.”

Lee Bagnall, CEO of GO Outdoors said: “I am extremely excited and proud to have opened the biggest outdoor store in Europe. I am thrilled to be able to bring the very best brands, products and services to our customers in York, in our new game changing flagship store.”

The vast store is set across two floors (Image: Supplied)