Shoppers left devastated as M&S confirmed ANOTHER store closure

Shoppers are devastated after M&S confirmed it could close another city center store following a wave of closures.

Marks and Spencer plans to close one of its stores in east London.

A spokesperson for M&S confirmed this The Romford recorder that it is discussing the proposed closure of its Ilford store and broke the news to staff last week.

There is no estimated decision date in mind yet on whether or not to close the store.

Reacting to the news on Facebook, one M&S fan said: “Ilford is as**thole.

‘Full of junk shops run by idiots.

‘The whole area is so**thole.

“M&S was the only decent store left there.”

Another said: ‘You might as well close the whole of Ilford, it’s not so sad anymore.’

It comes after M&S, which has 405 stores across the country, closed a series of branches across the country in a blow to shoppers.

In 2022, the retailer announced plans to close 67 “lower productivity” stores as part of a five-year plan to shake up branches.

Some, including in Manchester, Swindon and Birmingham, closed their doors for good between August and November last year.

In addition, 40 M&S clothing stores closed between November 2016 and July 2023.

Branches in Andover, Basildon, Edinburgh, Middlesborough and Stockport all pulled down their shutters for the final time.

But it’s not all bad news for the retailer: in January 2023, it announced it would open 20 more stores over the course of the financial year.

At the same time, it said it will open 104 new “bigger and fresher” food stores.

The company previously said it would reduce the number of clothing and home furnishings stores from 247 to 180 and expand its Simply Food stores from 316 to 420.

In the past 12 months the company has opened 22 locations, including in Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester, a spokesperson said.

Retailers will close stores in 2024

RETAILERS have been feeling the pressure since the pandemic, as shoppers cut back on spending due to the rising cost of living.

High energy costs and the switch to online shopping are also taking their toll, and many high street stores are struggling to continue.

Here’s a list of all the major brands closing their stores this year:

• Argos – The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone stores in the UK last year as it looks to break away from the high street and focus on expanding its supermarket presence.
• B&V – The chain has over 300 stores across the UK, so there’s a good chance there’s one near you, but some stores have closed in recent months.
• Boots – The health and beauty chain announced last July that it would close 300 stores. The closures are ongoing and will reduce the retailer’s store count from 2,200 to 1,900 stores.
• Clintons – Clintons late last year considered plans to close 38 stores in an effort to avoid bankruptcy. We have listed the affected stores.
• Costa coffee – The caffeine giant has around 2,000 locations nationwide, so there’s a good chance there’s one near you. The chain recently closed the doors of dozens of locations. We’ve revealed which stores are closing this year.
• Iceland – The supermarket has more than 900 stores, but closed almost twenty locations in 2023, and more select stores will close.
• Lidl – The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing store locations, causing a number of stores to close. But the retailer also wants to open twelve new supermarkets.
• MRS – M&S, which has 405 stores across the country, has closed a string of branches across the country in a blow to shoppers. But it’s not all bad news, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new stores.
• Offence – The company announced in July last year that it would close six branches, but more are in the pipeline.
• W.H.Smith – The retail giant, which operates more than 1,100 stores, has closed eight stores since March 2023, but more are on the way.

Why do retailers close branches?

Recent figures from the Center for Retail Research show that more than 10,000 stores closed their doors for the last time last year.

Meanwhile, the foundation found that almost 120,000 workers lost their jobs in the same twelve-month period.

It comes amid a turbulent time for the high street, with businesses struggling with high energy and wage costs and expensive business rates.

Shoppers are increasingly turning to online retail, forcing retailers to close their branches.

A number of notable brands have gone bankrupt, including Wilko and Paperchase.

Last month, The Body Shop confirmed it would close almost half of its portfolio of 198 stores after calling in administrators last week.

But it wasn’t all bad news, as a number of retailers expanded their physical presence in the UK.

Asda is expanding its portfolio of smaller Express stores, with plans to open 110 stores by the end of February.

In February, Primark confirmed plans to open and invest in new branches and renovate more than a dozen existing stores.