NEW life is to be breathed back into York’s shopping core after a prestigious cosmetics brand announced plans to move into an empty shop.

Neal’s Yard Remedies, which sells organic natural health and beauty products, will open a new store and therapy rooms, offering treatments including holistic facials, acupuncture and reflexology, in the former Culpeper shop at 43 Low Petergate, which closed after Culpeper went into administration earlier this year.

The opening provides a welcome boost to York’s shopping scene which may face more shop closures after Habitat and Jane Norman went into administration and Thorntons announced plans to scrap 120 stores.

The York Neal’s Yard store, which opens on Thursday and will employ five permanent staff, as well as therapists, is one of just a handful in the North of England, including Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester.

The business grew up from an original store in Covent Garden in London which started in 1981 before expanding to numerous stores in the capital and the south of England.

The move is part of the firm’s expansion plans, which have included recent openings in St Albans, Solihull and Totnes. David Abrahamson, retail director of Neal’s Yard, said York was one of the UK’s major cities where there was not yet a presence for the brand.

He said: “Our new store in York represents an exciting opportunity to spread the organic message and educate customers on the benefits of alternative therapies and ethical organic skincare. York is the perfect place for us to share our award- winning products to both the locals in the area as well as visiting tourists.

“We are all very excited as we embark on another great store opening.”