M&S is investing £50m in stores in the north west of England this year, in plans that are set to bring 300 jobs and 100,000 sq ft of new retail space to the region.
The programme kicked off on Friday with the opening of a ‘renewed’ full-line M&S store at Gemini Retail Park in Warrington, with a brand-new clothing, home and beauty department, plus a fresh market-style Food Hall which was added to the store in October last year.
A further six new stores, in Speke, Formby, Thornton-Cleveleys, Warrington, Blackburn and Bolton, are underway.
M&S’s Mersey Retail Park store in Speke is to move sites and undergo a transformation from a Food Hall to a full-line store, creating 100 jobs and bringing M&S clothing, home and beauty to customers in south Liverpool.
In Lancashire, M&S plans to replace an existing store in Thornton-Cleveleys with a 16,000 sq ft Food Hall.
In East Lancashire, M&S has submitted a planning application to move its Blackburn store to the Frontier Park retail hub, to bring customers a wider range of food products.
In Greater Manchester, existing stores will grow, with a major extension planned for the full-line store in Middlebrook Retail Park in Bolton, as well as a fresh redesign for the Food Hall in Sale which was recently completed.
An estimated 108 new jobs will be created for the extension in Bolton as the store expands into a vacant unit in Middlebrook Retail Park.
Meanwhile a £2.1m investment in Sale has delivered a new Food Hall, now open with a larger bakery, a coffee-to-go counter, and a brand-new food-to-order service.
The investment is part of M&S’s store renewal and rotation programme, credited with helping drive the retailer’s successful turnaround.
“As we reshape for growth, we want to open new stores we can be proud of and that deliver the best possible shopping experience for customers,” said M&S property director Will Smith.
“Our pipeline of stores for 2025 demonstrates our continued investment in market-leading stores as we deliver our transformation priorities. We have the opportunity in the north west of England to continue investing in market-leading stores, as part of our renewal and rotation strategy, offering great-quality products with that touch of M&S magic and the trusted value our customers expect and deserve.
“M&S already has many local supplier partnerships such as Park Cakes in Oldham, who make the customer-favourite Colin the Caterpillar cakes, and these new stores will help showcase their products and support jobs throughout the supply chain.”
All the plans are subject to planning permission.
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