Marks & Spencer has acquired 12 former Homebase sites to create some of its largest-ever standalone M&S Food stores.
The retailer is planning to open its largest ever standalone M&S Food store in Godalming, Surrey, in summer 2026, at 22,000 sq ft.
The plans also include new 18,000 sq ft M&S Food stores to open later this year in Abingdon, Oxfordshire and Cannock, Staffordshire, and another in Farnham, Surrey next spring.
A 16,000 sq ft M&S Food store in Northampton is also due to open in summer 2026.
The announcement is a signal of confidence from M&S as it continues grapple with a cyberattack that has wrought havoc on its operations since Easter, forcing it to suspend online clothing & home orders.
Eight of the new Food stores are expected to open by summer 2026. More than 550 jobs will be created across all 12, according to M&S.
The stores will carry M&S’s full food range, with a fresh market-style fruit & veg section, larger bakeries, fresh coffee to go and click & collect counters for online clothing & home orders.
M&S said the acquisition of the “prime retail sites” was a step forward in its store rotation and renewal programme. The plan is to have 420 Food stores, up from 316 in 2023, when the programme began. The programme also includes reducing the number of full-line M&S stores from 247 to 180, while replacing weaker branches with new ones in M&S’s ‘renewed’ format, which includes bigger Food Halls. Half of the estate is expected to be in the renewed format by 2027/28.
Last year M&S opened six Food stores, averaging 15,000 sq ft each, and two full-line stores, while renewing nine existing stores.
The two new full-line stores at Dundee and Washington Galleries, Sunderland, opened with their fashion, home & beauty sales trading 15% ahead of plan, according to M&S. Fosse Park in Leicestershire was extended during the year, with fashion, home & beauty trading up 20% versus last year, it said.
“Investing in new and renewed stores is one of our key transformation priorities,” said M&S CEO Stuart Machin. “Securing these highly desirable sites in priority locations will accelerate this strategy, drive further growth in our M&S food business and most importantly give our customers the best possible M&S shopping experience.”
M&S said last week that online clothing & home orders would remain disrupted until July as it rebuilt IT systems following the cyberattack. It has estimated it will lead to a £300m hit for group operating profit this financial year.
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