Marks & Spencer (M&S) is significantly stepping up its store rotation and renewal programme with a fresh commitment of over £300 million to open, extend, and revamp 37 sites across the UK in the current financial year. This bold investment forms part of the retailer’s long-term objective to operate 180 full-line stores alongside 420 food-only branches by the end of the 2028 financial year.

The planned rollout is comprehensive, including 16 new stores, nine extended sites, and 12 refurbished locations. Among the new openings, two full-line stores, previously announced for Bath Southgate and Bristol Cabot Circus, will launch alongside 12 new food halls. Key locations set for upgrades include Bell Green, Sydenham, Abingdon, Cannock, and Farnham. Each site will adopt M&S’s latest store format featuring wider aisles, market-style fresh produce sections, and enhanced Foodhall experiences. Full-line stores will also showcase barista-style coffee counters and refreshed beauty departments, reflecting the retailer’s aim to create a modern and shopper-friendly environment.

This scale of expansion follows an intense period of property activity, with M&S having signed 47 property deals for future openings in the past year alone—more than the previous three years combined. The company is actively assessing over 300 potential new locations across the UK, from Scotland’s Elgin to Exeter in the South West, indicating a strategic push to widen its presence in diverse communities.

CEO Stuart Machin highlighted the accelerated pace and ambition behind the programme, noting, “This year we are stepping up the pace of our programme and investing over £300m to rotate and renew stores across the country. We have a rigorous strategy to make sure we have the right stores in the right places, and this year we will deliver 37 new and renewed stores with the best of our Food, Fashion and Home and Beauty to our 32 million customers.”

A significant portion of this investment, amounting to £90 million, is earmarked for London, where M&S plans to open and enhance 17 stores, including six new food halls in locations such as Clapham, Covent Garden, Fulham Broadway, Putney, New Malden, and Leytonstone, pending planning permission. Alongside new developments, 11 existing stores will undergo refurbishment, including a full refresh of the Pantheon store on Oxford Street. The renewed Clapham South store exemplifies the new format with expanded produce sections, enlarged ambient and freezer areas, and enhanced bakery offerings alongside coffee-to-go services. This London-focused initiative is expected to create 450 new jobs, reinforcing M&S’s commitment to local employment.

Beyond the capital, M&S is also investing heavily in the North West of England, with a £50 million programme targeting the opening and upgrading of eight stores. This regional investment will create approximately 300 new jobs and deliver about 100,000 square feet of new retail space. One of the first revamped sites, at Gemini Retail Park in Warrington, recently reopened featuring updated clothing, home, and beauty departments, complementing the food hall launched at the same location the previous autumn.

M&S’s renewed emphasis on store rotation and location optimisation reflects wider retail trends recognising the critical importance of accessibility and modernised shopping experiences to attract and retain customers. By combining new developments with strategic extensions and refurbishments, M&S aims to create a network of stores that simultaneously bolsters its brand presence and caters effectively to evolving consumer preferences.

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Source: Noah Wire Services