Marks & Spencer has published a list of 500 target locations across the UK for new food stores, including towns where it does not currently trade, such as Hove, Marlborough and Wallingford, as it looks to significantly grow its food business.
The plan would reshape the estate around 180 full line stores and 420 standalone Food stores. M&S wants larger sites that can carry its full Food range, with an average trading space target of 18,000 sq ft, in highly visible and accessible locations with strong footfall and public transport links. Within the M25, it will also consider smaller Foodhalls of between 6,000 and 18,000 sq ft, with gross space of up to 25,000 sq ft.
Wider aisles and bigger car parks
New stores will have broader aisles for larger trolleys, extended ranges and larger car parks aimed at family shoppers, building on what the retailer says have been strong results from food stores opened in the past three years. More than half of the estate, including convenience stores, is expected to be in the renewal format by April 2028.
“The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth. With more than twenty stores opening or modernised before the end of the financial year, we are moving faster. Our team want new sites where we could open a large M&S Food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers.”
Alex Freudmann, Managing Director, M&S Food
Openings before Christmas
Twenty new or renewed stores will open between November and March, creating around 800 jobs. M&S also acquired 12 former Homebase sites this summer, which will become some of its largest standalone Food stores, with the first due to open in Cannock before Christmas.
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