High street favourite Marks and Spencer has announced plans to launch two new food halls in London, with 13 new stores set to open across the UK over the next year. This comes following news that the retail giant plans to ‘modernise’ 12 existing London stores.
The ambitious nationwide plans include the establishment of four ‘full line’ stores, which include clothing, home and food, as well as nine new food halls. The expansion drive was announced in their annual results last week, signalling a confident step forward for the brand.
Upcoming London food halls opening include Sidcup (June 19) and Friern Barnet (August), but the first of the new stores will open its doors this week at The Galleries in Washington, Sunderland, offering food, clothing, a bakery, florist, wine shop and click-and-collect service. The store will run entirely on electricity, aligning with M&S’s commitment to be a net-zero business by 2040.
READ MORE: Marks and Spencer confirms opening of two new London food halls and which 5 stores will be upgraded
Following the Sunderland opening, Guildford will see a new food hall in Ladymead Retail Park on June 12th, complete with a large food selection, bakery, card and wrap shop, and additional services including click-and-collect for M&S products and a travel money desk, as reported by the Mirror. Additionally, a new ‘full line’ store will make its debut at Gallagher Retail Park, Dundee towards summer’s end, whilst another food hall is expected to be operating in Largs by 2025, reports Chronicle Live.
M&S has yet to reveal the locations and opening dates for the remaining new stores. In addition to the 13 new outlets, M&S anticipates 25 store renewals in the next financial year, with 12 of these taking place in London. London stores getting a refresh in the coming months include Brixton Road, Chancery Lane, Blackheath, Teddington, and Islington.
These openings and renewals form part of M&S’s store rotation programme, with the aim of maintaining 180 full line and 420 food halls across the UK. Speaking on the announcement, M&S claimed to be in its “strongest financial health since 1997”, although CEO Stuart Machin acknowledged that “there remains much work to do”.
New London M&S stores confirmed so far:
- Sidcup, London – June 19 (food hall)
- Friern Barnet, London – August 2024 (food hall)
New M&S stores confirmed elsewhere:
- Ladymead Retail Park Guildford, June 12 (food hall)
- Gallagher Retail Park, Dundee Summer 2024 (full line)
- Largs, North Ayrshire early 2025 (food hall)
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