THE FUTURE of York fashion store C&A could be announced within the next week.

And the shopping streets of York look set for a second major shake-up, with several shops on the move.

The Piccadilly branch of C&A, affected by the chain's shock announcement in June that it is closing its stores nationwide, is thought to have attracted huge interest from interested retailers.

Richard Akers, assistant director of Land Securities, which runs the Coppergate Centre, including the C&A store, said: "We understand that there has been overwhelming interest in the store and we are confident that a new tenant will be in place shortly."

Manager of the York store Dave Rowland said on Friday: "The legal process is ongoing so I can't say who the interested parties are, but I am fairly hopeful that we can make an announcement within 10 days."

The closure of C&A results in the loss of 4,800 jobs nationwide.

The York store employs 25 part-time workers and one full time manager.

The chain last year made losses of £250 million.

Elsewhere in the town centre, four top labels are moving closer together, freeing up two prime sites.

The Arcadia Group is closing two of its stores as it squeezes closer its Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Principles and Racing Green outlets.

Leeann Suter, branch manager with Arcadia, said that the Burtons store, in Coppergate, and Racing Green, in Coney Street, would be shutting their doors.

She added that the Principles shop, in High Ousegate, and Dorothy Perkins, in Coney Street, would be refitted.

The store that currently houses Principles will rehouse Burtons upstairs, with the Dorothy Perkins store downstairs.

The current Dorothy Perkins store will become two shops, one incorporating Principles and the other Racing Green.

Ms Suter stressed that the "snuggling together" of stores was being done nationwide by the Arcadia group.

The Evening Press reported in April that Arcadia's debt was almost £230 million, though Ms Suter said it was the menswear stores which were going through a "bad time".

She added that no jobs would be affected by the rearrangement.

It is expected that the changes will all take place in the next month, with everything completed by the end of September.