Pressure is being put on Marks and Spencer to find a new tenant for its former home in Northgate Street after a "lowest end" new arrival.
Gloucester City Council leader Paul James is pushing efforts to get a big name store into the prominent building after many complained when Pure Bargains moved in last month.
"We do not want to see this store here in the long term and even in the short term it's not very good," he said.
"There's a number of budget stores in Gloucester but this is probably the lowest end of those stores."
Despite the move, most of the 20,000sq ft space is off limits to customers, leaving just a row of shelves.
Electronic hamsters, shopping trolleys, pieces of luggage and £1 items greet people entering the store, which is believed to have a rolling contract.
Marks and Spencer has struggled to let the three-storey unit since moving to Eastgate Street two years ago.
The £300,000-a-year rent and the sheer size of the building have proved to be stumbling blocks for potential tenants, as well as an apparent asbestos problem.
Mr James told the Citizen he is in regular contact with the head of property at Marks and Spencer and has confirmed efforts to find a "suitable" long-term tenant continues and it is a priority for the company.
He has also proposed reconsidering renting the site to shopping chain TK Maxx which was supposed to move in last year but the deal fell through.
"It's a prominent site and as the economy improves and the investment comes into Gloucester I expect it will be taken up by a retail group more fitting," he said.
"If I was a shareholder at Marks and Spencer I would not want them bearing the cost of the place."
It has been suggested a relaxing of business rates may be the way forward to entice a more preferred company into the prominent building, something Mr James said he was open to.
"We're always open to conversation about these things but it does come at a cost to the tax payer and we will have to justify it," he said.
"We're always willing to look at anything like that but if anything does come out of it comes out of council tax payer money so we have to justify it."
A Marks and Spencer spokesman said: "We are pleased the unit on Northgate Street is now leased and our priority continues to be ensuring a long term tenant."
Pure Bargains did not wish to comment.
