YORK business bosses have approached companies including Ikea, Camper Shoes and BoConcept furniture as part of a bid to attract more retailers to the city.

A dedicated task group has been working to tempt brands to consider opening stores in York. And as part of their efforts they have approached more than 80 companies to explain why their brand could succeed in the city.

A council report says destination management organisation Make It York has been contacting bosses at leading brands to promote the city.

The report says: “Over 80 retailers have been approached in this way including contemporary brands such as India Jane, Camper Shoes, and BoConcept. Ikea have also been approached after their recent announcement that they were looking to develop a high street offer.”

It says that, although feedback has been limited, contacting brands speculatively will hopefully have a long-term impact.

Andrew Sharp, head of business at Make It York, said: “We have been actively trying to approach retailers we felt were missing or might be well-aligned with the city. We want to make sure York is constantly being considered. I think the offering in York is very good, we have a strong independent sector and it’s about that balance between chains and thriving independents, as well as smaller brands.

“There are people actively interested in York because it’s a vibrant and thriving retail centre. For up and coming brands moving out of their home base, York is often quite high on their list.

“It’s the large brands that have disappeared. There are still challenges. Having the right space is a challenge and we work very hard to understand what properties are available and what they are suitable for. We are working hard to try and address this and there are things happening.”

But Andrew said he is not able to comment on whether Ikea or any of the other brands approached will be opening branches in York.

The report says there is a growing demand for short-term pop-up space in the city but that some companies interested in coming to York struggle to find properties that meet their needs in terms of space and price.

Andrew Lowson, from York Business Improvement District (BID), said: “Attracting retailers to large units in any UK city is challenging at the moment, so we welcome Make it York proactively contacting brands that we think will fit well with York’s city centre offer. As part of a task group, Make it York, The York BID, City of York Council and York Retail Forum meet every month to discuss who to approach, which is a good example of partners trying to address the challenges to the high street.”

The report adds: “This initiative is not going to solve York’s retail aspirations. It is, though, pro-active, provides a positive, responsive service and is an important aspect of the co-ordinated effort that the city needs to persevere with.”

Ikea were unable to provide a comment at the time of going to press.