A £1 million extension to Rodgers, the York home furnishing store at Monks Cross, Huntington, has helped to yield an extra 25 per cent on turnover since it opened to the public last Christmas.

The addition also generated ten new jobs, six of them from three new franchises which have opened in the Julia Avenue complex, bringing the total number of people working at the store to about 50.

The success of the 14,000 sq ft extension, which brings total floor space for showroom and warehousing to 50,000 sq ft, was revealed by William Browne, who is joint managing director with his brother, James.

Mr Browne said: "This was our second major investment since we built the store in 1987; the first being in 1996 when we spent £500,000 extending what was a retail carpet showroom into a home furnishing showroom.

"This time we needed to give ourselves a much greater impact on the site, bringing us into line with the rest of the huge Monks Cross Shopping Park a few hundred yards away.

"It was also necessary to be ready to capitalise on the massive plans for growth in the area, including the £50 million Vangarde business and science development right next door, which has already received the green light.

"And we expect an extra spurt to business throughout Monks Cross when Park and Ride comes to fruition in Malton Road.

The sleek new chrome and glass frontage disguises the fact that 114-year old Rodgers is one of the longest established stores in York.

It began life as a haberdashery in Pavement, York owned by Reckless Augustus Rodgers. He moved it to Fossgate, where it thrived, and eventually sold out to Francis Browne, a former apprentice draper in 1934. Francis's son, David, joined him, introducing floor coverings, and took over when his father died in 1973.

It was David who bought the existing site at Monks Cross, eventually getting the first planning consent for a non-food retail outlet there and the new store was ultimately managed by his two sons with all the York outlets now under one roof.

Concessions there include The Flooring Gallery, Hammonds, the fitted bedroom and offices retailer and Montgomery, the curtain franchise.

It was opened by the Lord Mayor of York, Coun Charles Hall, the High Sheriff, Keith Orrell, and their wives.

Updated: 11:24 Tuesday, May 04, 2004