A NEW Look store is to open on the site of the former Littlewoods shop in York's Parliament Street on June 1.

The women's fashion chain store today announced that the 7,000 sq ft premises is one of the 34 Littlewoods stores it has bought from Associated British Foods (ABF).

The new store could mean the fate of the two other New Look branches in and around York - in Blake Street and at Monks Cross - could be in the balance.

A spokeswoman for New Look said: "We have not yet decided which of the scenarios we will choose - whether to close one or both of the existing York stores or whether to continue with all three.

"We first need to look at how many staff are at each store, the location of them and we need to establish the supply and demand."

Last summer, the Parliament Street store was one of 120 Littlewoods branches acquired by ABF, Primark's parent company, from tycoons Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay in a £409 million deal.

But the York store was later not among the list of those Littlewoods chosen to become new Primark outlets.

The decision meant the loss of 25 jobs at the Littlewoods store in York.

The spokeswoman for New Look said it was not yet decided whether some former Littlewoods staff would be taken on.

She said: "Each of our new Littlewoods stores is being looked at on a case by case basis."

She said shoppers could expect the full range of the collection which has been positioning the store in mid-range "to compete with the Zaras and the Next stores of this world".

It is also likely to feature a new menswear range, which is being trialled as well as the "915" range for teenagers.

The big investment in new stores comes hot on the heels of the building of a new 400,000 sq ft distribution centre in Stafford.

It brings the total number of New Look stores in the UK to 541, plus 211 stores in France trading under the name Mim.

Updated: 11:31 Friday, January 13, 2006