We should not be unduly disappointed that York has failed to be named as Yorkshire's top shopping centre.

According to today's survey, the city is the region's third most popular retail destination. But that places it behind Leeds and Sheffield, two major metropolitan centres that serve far larger populations. We should take confidence from the fact that such cities regard York as serious competition.

More interesting than the league table is the traders' reaction to it. Roland Harris, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said today that out-of-town shopping centres such as Monks Cross and Naburn were important for York's retail future.

Viewed in the context of the long battle between city centre and out-of-town shopping, this seems an ironic statement. It is also a realistic one.

Huge stores are already trading at Monks Cross, and the 'Designer Outlet Village' at Naburn opens this week.

However hard city centre businesses fought against these developments in the past, they now have to accept their existence as fact. Traders' energy is better expended on making the situation work to everyone's advantage.

That seems to be the view taken by Adam Sinclair, a director of a business based at the Naburn complex.

This move is bound to raise a few eyebrows. He has been a high-profile champion of the cause of York city traders for many years. Mr Sinclair, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's retail committee, cannot be accused of abandoning the city centre. He has invested heavily in his York businesses recently.

Instead, he has clearly been convinced by the argument that Naburn will attract many new shoppers to the district, rather than drag them away from the city centre.

On the face of it, Naburn's stores do not compete directly with those in York. If the designer village succeeds in drawing in business from South and West Yorkshire, and a proportion of these shoppers go on to visit the city centre, that is good news all round.

York should remain confident about its retail future. Historic York offers an altogether different shopping environment to those available elsewhere. It can remain competitive on that basis.

And this Christmas, the central streets will boast their best ever festive illuminations, paid for by donations from city and out-of-town traders.

The real effect on the local economy of the out-of-town developments will only become clear once Naburn is up and running. We do not have long to wait.

see SHOPPING IN YORK

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.