The re-opening of a former superstore in Bradford, which closed in January following the demise of the Woolworth high street chain, is part of a trend that has seen more former Woollies sites revitalised in Yorkshire than anywhere else in the UK.

Research by property consultants CB Richard Ellis revealed that 83 per cent of former Woolworths stores in Yorkshire and the North East have either been let or are under offer, compared to 75 per cent across the UK.

These include the former Big W site at the Victoria Centre in Girlington, which closed in January when Woolworth went under.

The 70,000 sq ft superstore re-opened in June as The Range, a 16-department discount store operated by the Plymouth-based retailer which began life as a market stall. Famously, Morrisons, which has a store next door, began in a similar fashion.

The Bradford store is the only former Woolworths taken over by The Range, which has 40 stores including two more in West Yorkshire. The company also has plans to build another 150 stores across the UK.

A company spokesman said the re-launch of the Bradford store had created around 200 jobs, including some for former Woolworth staff.

The Range was founded by South West market trader Chris Dawson, who opened his first open-air stall in 1980.

By 2005, The Range was listed as one of the UK’s fastest-growing companies and it now employs 2,500 people, selling a range of 65,000 products, mainly ‘mid-price’ home, leisure and garden products, When Woolworths opened its fifth Big W superstore at Girlington in 2000, it marked a return to Bradford after an absence of 20 years.

Woolworths originally opened in Bradford city centre in 1920. The CBRE report says 36 per cent of the former Woolworths sites in Yorkshire had re-opened as discount stores such as B&M Bargains, 99p stores and Poundland; 23 per cent as grocers including Iceland and Tesco; and nine per cent were taken over by fashion shops such as Ethel Austin and Peacocks.

Of the 800 UK stores, three-quarters have either been let or are under offer, compared with a few months ago when 60 per cent had been acquired.

Ciaran Bird, head of UK Retail at CB Richard Ellis, said: “A year ago the collapse of Woolworths came at a very difficult time for retailers, who were feeling the full force of the harsh economic conditions.

“Rather than stores remaining dormant, the market was quick to react to the fantastic opportunity to acquire prime retail locations in high streets and town centres across the UK.

“Take-up of the Woolworths stores is now strong across all regions, with Yorkshire, North East, South West, Scotland and Wales in particular showing a marked increase in store acquisition since the original research was published.”