A MAJOR Scandinavian retailer will open its first Bradford store at a Bradford retail park this Summer.

JYSK has announced that it will be moving into a large empty unit in Manningham Retail Park, creating 10 jobs.

The retail chain says it sells ‘everything for the home’ and is opening the Bradford store on June 29 as part of a big expansion in the UK.

It will be moving into a space between Food Warehouse and JD Gyms.

Until recently the space, off Manningham Lane, has been two separate units.

Last month Bradford Council granted planning permission for the retail park’s owners to convert the two units - a former Brantano shoe store and a long empty shop, into one much larger space.

Work is currently being done to merge the units, knocking down an internal dividing wall and blocking up one entrance.

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The chain, which started in Denmark, will also be opening a store in St Helens as part of its latest expansion.

A further five stores are expected to open by the end of the year.

The nearest branch to Bradford is currently in Dewsbury - and JYSK has other Yorkshire stores in York and Pontefract.

The company says the Bradford branch will be a “Concept 3.0” store that will feature “well-laid out products and cool natural wood-flooring to give shoppers a bigger Scandi shopping experience.”

UK Country Manager for JYSK, David Ashton, said: “I am very pleased to announce our next flags on the UK map will be in Bradford and St Helens.

“We will finish FY (financial year) 19 increasing our store numbers by 30 per cent, then again in FY20 we plan to grow 30 Per cent once again.

“As we have just seen in our March 2019 figures, with 21.3 per cent comparable sales growth, the UK certainly know where to go for a great offer.

“Whilst we might be an unknown to many within the UK, our strong international buying power, with 2,700 stores worldwide brings the UK customer home furniture ideas at great prices.

“In Bradford and St Helens we have great locations in areas in which I firmly believe the local populations will soon love JYSK.”

Until recently the retail park seemed to be in a troubling position. After the closure of Toys r’ Us and attached Babies r’ Us, there was just one business on the retail park - JD Gyms.

But Iceland’s decision to open one of the company’s Food Warehouse supermarkets in the Toys r’ Us unit brought retail back to the site, and with the opening of JYSK all the park’s units will be filled.

The announcement of the new retailer follows news that Wren Kitchens would be opening its first Bradford store in the unit that was vacated by the closure of Mothercare this past weekend.