Marks and Spencer confirmed earlier this week which stores will be closing for good as they plan to focus more on food-only stores.
The British retailer, which sells womenswear, menswear, home and beauty as well as food and drink, said it plans to move away from its current shopping format which includes homeware and clothing to focus more on its food and drink offerings.
M&S plan to open 104 food-only stores, however, this means a massive 110 stores will be closing their doors for good.
M&S CEO Stuart Machin revealed in a statement that the company will now focus on “making sure we [they] have the right stores, in the right place, with the right space”.
Mr Machin added: “We’re aiming to rotate… to 180 higher quality, higher productivity full line stores that sell our full clothing, home and food offer whilst also opening over 100 bigger, better food sites.”
While it’s good news for shoppers who love the retailer’s food and drink range, it’s bad news for fans of their clothing, homeware and beauty ranges.
Some M&S stores are expected to close as early as next week while others will close later this year.
The Cheltenham branch at the Kingsditch Trading Estate in Tewkesbury Road will be closing next week on March 30.
M&S has also confirmed that Peterborough’s store in the Queensgate Shopping Centre will be closing on April 20.
Regional manager Craig Burton said the move is due to “shopping habits changing”. He said: “Shopping habits are changing, so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores to offer customers.
“In recent years, we have invested over £31million in our stores in the East of England and we look forward to working with the local council to bring forward plans for further future investment into Peterborough and the wider local area.”
However, other Peterborough stores at Brotherhood Shopping Park and its food hall at Serpentine Green are not affected by the closure of the Queensgate Shopping Centre branch.
The retailer also confirmed the closure of its Doncaster city centre store. Stores in Baxtergate and Frenchgate will close their doors next summer, according to Doncaster Free Press.
However, it’s not all bad news as the Wheatley Hall Road Simply Food store in the Wheatley Centre Shopping Park will be expanded to become three times its current size.
Kerry Ely, M&S regional manager, said: “Shopping habits are changing, so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores with the right space to offer customers a brilliant shopping experience.
“We’re excited to be announcing a £7million investment today to extend our Wheatley Hall Road Simply Food store in the Wheatley Centre Shopping Park, tripling its size to deliver a bigger foodhall and brand-new spacious and stylish 20,000 sq ft clothing and home department.
“This follows a £21million investment last year in new stores across Yorkshire. Once the extension is complete in summer 2025, our Baxter Gate store will close. We are offering our colleagues alternative roles at M&S and in the meantime, we look forward to continuing to serve our customers across Doncaster.”
Full list of Marks and Spencer stores closing:
- Cheltenham – March 30, 2024
- Peterborough – April 2024
- Neath, Wales – May 2024
- Aberdeen, Scotland – 2025
- Weymouth – exact date to be confirmed
- Sunderland – exact date to be confirmed
- Walworth, London – exact date to be confirmed
- Hexham – exact date to be confirmed
- Bradford – exact date to be confirmed
- Ilford – exact date to be confirmed
- Blackburn – exact date to be confirmed
Shoppers are infuriated by the latest swathe of planned closures from M&S with many taking to social media to air their frustration.
One M&S fan said on Facebook of the Ilford store closure: “M&S was the only decent shop left there.”
Another wrote: “Might as well close the whole of Ilford down nothing much there any more so sad.”
Shoppers at the M&S branch in Walworth, South London told MyLondon they were “devastated” by the planned closure.
June O’Shea said: “It’s devastating for the Walworth Road. Marks and Spencer draws people from all around here.
“It’s going to bring the high street down not having it here. I think it has had a problem with shoplifting. I see it more and more around here.”
