A CITY centre shop is about to move and expand, with thousands of pounds worth of investment.

Travelling Man, in Goodramgate, will soon take over the former Paper Kisses shop just a few doors away, more than doubling its current size and turning it into one of the company’s flagship stores.

Nabil Homsi founded the company, which operates from its Leeds HQ, and spoke to The Press before flying to the San Diego Comic-Con where Travelling Man will host a signing booth.

He said the York shop could move as early as next month, and the new layout would mean a much more open space for comics, graphic novels and artist signings which have seen hundreds of people queue outside the door in recent months, as well as an entire floor for card and board games.

Mr Homsi said: “The York store has always been a bit compact, but York’s not a cheap city to be in, so we’ve been looking for a few years now trying to find the right unit.

“It’ll certainly be one of our flagship stores moving forward because we’re hoping it will update the business. The stores always look quite good, but the way they are set out dates back 12 or 13 years and things have moved on, so we’re hoping to have a more contemporary feel.”

Mr Homsi said a ten year lease had been signed for the new store, and he expected to spend at least £50,000 updating the former card shop in coming months, with potential for two or three new staff members in the near future.

He said: “Our staff are crucial to what we do and making people feel welcome, and I think the challenge will definitely lead to more staff in the future.”

CJ Reay, who works at the York branch, said: “We’ve got a sign above the shop saying To Let, and we’ve had a lot of people coming in asking if we were closing down. When we tell them we’re moving to a bigger shop, they’ve been excited. Especially the people who’re into card games and board games, as it means there’s a specific space for them.”