AN empty unit in Darley Street will be re-opened when an expanding pet shop moves from its current home in a city centre market.

Next month Jessica King will be moving her pet supplies store King’s Pet Palace from Kirkgate Market, where it has been based in one form or another for 30 years.

The shop will be moving to 45 Darley Street, an empty unit opposite the former Post Office building, on Saturday, June 3. It was most recently used as an Ecig outlet.

It will be a welcome boost for Darley Street, once one of the city’s main shopping streets but which is currently suffering from a high number of empty shop units and declining footfall.

The business, a mainstay in Kirkgate Market, used to be known as Roger’s Pet Palace until Mrs King bought it in 2015 and gave it a new name.

The shop sells pet supplies, food and training equipment, but not pets. No pets are actually allowed in the market, which means the location is not ideal for people going shopping with their animals.

Although the market has been the home of the store for years, Mrs King felt the move, which will give the business a city centre shopfront, will give them much more in passing trade.

She also says it will provide a bit more variety to Darley Street.

Mrs King said: “It is about growing the business. Having a shop on the street means customers can actually bring their animals in, which they can’t do in the market.

“We want to do more local rescue groups. At the moment we only have space for one or two small animals, but this new shop will have more room in the back for take on animals temporarily to be re-homed.

“It will also give us more opportunities, we hope to have local college students coming in to get a bit of experience.

“This new shop will allow us to have a completely different lay out. At the moment we have to store all the stock on the shop floor. This will give us much more space for storage.

“We have a whole week of events planned for the opening.”

The stretch of units on Darley Street has recently seen the opening of The Craft Market, which sells locally-produced arts and crafts.

And work is underway to turn 49 Darley Street into an art studio, gallery and coffee shop.

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