Which M&S stores will close and how many jobs will be lost?
MARKS and Spencer has closed several stores in recent years.
The chic store has 405 stores across the country and is an important part of the shopping streets.
As announced in 2022, M&S will close 67 lower productivity stores, as part of the 110 stores earmarked for closure.
However, it is not all bad news, because the chain also has big plans to open hundreds of stores.
In recent months it has permanently closed some stores, while others are being relocated or renovated.
The retailer has not yet confirmed what will happen to affected employees or a full list of stores that have already closed or will close.
When the plans were first announced, M&S said it hoped the closures would save the company a total of £300 million.
But it's not all bad news, as the chain is also about to open a total of 104 new 'bigger and fresher' food stores, with some already cutting the ribbon.
The company was already hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and announced in 2021 that it planned to close thirty stores.
It came after the retailer reported a major hit to sales of homewares and clothing.
This was in addition to the 59 clothing and food stores the retailer had already closed, plus 15 food-only sites and eight retail outlets.
The closures were all part of a wider radical restructuring plan first announced in 2016, which aimed to close 110 stores by 2022.
In 2021, the company said it wanted to reduce the number of clothing and home stores from 247 to 180, but increase the number of Simply Food stores from 316 to 420.
Marks and Spencer has closed 68 stores in recent years, but its efforts to cut bills have been disrupted by the pandemic.
So far, M&S has only confirmed the locations it closed between 2016 and 2019. Here's what we know about which stores have closed so far.
Which M&S clothing stores will close?
M&S has not released a full list of the locations of the 67 stores earmarked for closure.
But the shutters have already been pulled down on some of them.
Here is the latest list of stores that are about to close or have already closed in recent months:
- Manchester – August 2023
- Swindon – October 2023
- Birmingham city center – November 2023
- Barnsley town center – November 2023
- Cheltenham – April 2024
- Peterborough – April 2024
- Aberdeen – 2025
- Weymouth – exact date to be confirmed
- Sunderland – exact date yet to be confirmed
These are the 40 clothing stores that closed between November 2016 and July 2023. Please note that although six of the stores have closed, they have been relocated to other locations in the same area:
- Andover
- Basildon
- Birkenhead
- Bournemouth
- Bridlington
- Castleford
- Clacton
- Covent Garden
- Crewe [Relocation]
- Darlington
- Dover
- Durham
- East Kibride
- Edgware Broadwalk
- Edinburgh
- Falkirk
- Falmouth
- Fareham
- Fforestfach
- Greenock [Relocation]
- Keighley
- Kettering
- Kirkcaldy
- London
- Middlesborough
- New Mersey Speke [Will change to a food-only store]
- New market
- Newry [Relocation]
- Noordampton
- Portsmouth
- Putney
- Redditch
- Slough
- Saint Helens [Relocation]
- Stafford [Relocation]
- Stockport
- Stockton
- Walsall
- Warrington
- Wokingham [Relocation]
And these are the 13 clothing stores that closed between April 2019 and May 2019:
- Ashford
- Bedford
- Boston
- Buxton
- Cwmbran
- Agreement
- Felixstowe
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Luton Arndale
- Newark
- Rotherham
- Weston SuperMare
Which M&S food stores are closing?
M&S announced in 2019 that 25 food stores will close or relocate by April 2024.
It also plans to open more than 100 larger Foodhall locations by 2028.
The retailer said it is focusing on closing or relocating its smaller, low-volume stores.
M&S has closed the following food stores:
- Bay water
- Holloway Road
- Cheltenham – summer 2024 (relocation)
- Wrexham – November 2023
Why are M&S stores closing?
In November 2016, the retailer said it had flagged 100 underperforming stores for closure or change as part of a major ten-year restructuring plan.
In May 2018, M&S then announced it was accelerating its plans with more than 100 clothing stores due to close by 2022.
In May 2019, M&S revised its plans to 120 clothing store closures by April 2024. Until that date, 48 clothing stores have reportedly closed or relocated.
It also added 25 food stores to the firing line, saying they would be scrapped or relocated.
In 2021, the thirty store closures came after a year in which major retailers fought for survival due to the Covid crisis.
As non-essential stores were forced to close during a number of national lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, sales at many retailers, including M&S, took a big hit.
In 2022, the changes come as the country faces a tough consumer environment, rising inflation and a £100 million hit from rising energy costs.
The retailer has said it is accelerating its store renovation to save around £309 million in rental costs.
M&S has previously said it was focusing on abandoning tired stores on high streets with few footfalls, in favor of moving into retail parks, which are still proving popular with shoppers.
Which stores will open?
Cities such as Leeds and Liverpool have already become home to new M&S stores.
Nine openings in November included six new stores plus three store remodels.
It also plans to open more than 100 larger Foodhall locations by 2028.
M&S plans to operate 180 full range halls (including clothing, homewares and food) and 400 food halls over the next five years.
The new openings will take investment in new stores to £480 million, M&S said in May last year.
New M&S flagship stores have popped up in several major British cities this year, with more openings to come. You can see the full list below:
- Purley Way – opened in April
- Leeds White Rose – opened in May
- Stockport – opened in June
- Liverpool ONE – opened in August
- Birmingham Bullring – opens November 7
- Uckfield – opens November 8
- Barnsley – expected autumn 2023
- Earlsfield – opened on 16 November
- Lakeside Thurrock – opens November 15
- Manchester Trafford Center – Winter 2023
- Largs – expected spring 2024
- Dundee – expected spring 2024