Work is about to start on the £6m revamp of Oxford’s Clarendon Centre.

The former Currys Digital shop will be demolished to make way for a new three-storey building to house fashion chain H&M.

A new Currys and PC World store will open in the old River Island shop unit on Thursday.

Manager Justin Walden said: “This is one of the key building blocks for the redevelopment of the Clarendon Centre because it means that the old Currys Digital building can now be demolished.

“There will be a PC World upstairs and a Currys downstairs, with about 25 staff.

“This is a totally new store with a fresh feel and staff are very excited about the move.”

Currys Digital closed earlier this month in preparation for the new store opening.

Centre managers Lothbury Investment Management said in March that the revamp was being carried out to ensure that the Clarendon Centre remained competitive as the Westgate Centre planned its own revamp, due for completion in 2017.

Director Adam Smith added that an archaeological dig would take place in June and hoardings would go up in August in preparation for demolition of the old Currys building in November.

Mr Smith said: “We have given a presentation to all the tenants at the Clarendon Centre and they are very positive about how this is moving forward.”

According to Lothbury’s timetable, the new units will be completed by October 2013, with the H&M store opening early in 2014.

H&M say their new store will create about 30 new jobs.

Other big-name chains have been invited to take up two other units on the ground and first floors.

Graham Jones, chairman of traders’ group Rox – Promoting Oxford Business, said: “The opening of the new Currys and PC World store is an important step forward for the Clarendon Centre.

“The Clarendon Centre revamp will bring in extra jobs and boost the local economy.

“We need positive retail developments like this in Oxford, otherwise there is a danger that shoppers will go elsewhere.”

The revamp at the Shoe Lane entrance of the centre means the Clarendon Centre will increase in size by 10 per cent.

The Westgate Centre redevelopment is expected to include a John Lewis department store, a cinema, and other new shops.