‘Complete madness’ say shoppers as M&S confirms ANOTHER closure within days

M&S has confirmed another store closure which has left many shoppers confused.

The retailer has announced it will close its M&S Café in the Foodhall in Didcot within days.

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The Orchard Street cafe will serve its last drinks on March 23 following an internal review by the major retailer.

Locals took to Facebook to share their disappointment and confusion upon hearing the news.

One user said angrily: “Pathetic that the cafes are always buying, what is the reason behind this?”

“If they close the cafe, they will no longer have to provide toilet facilities,” said another

A third user said: “Such a nice cafe, it seemed busy, what’s going on?”

“Madness Utter madness,” said someone else.

An M&S spokesperson told The Sun: “Following a review, we have informed colleagues at our Didcot store that the cafe will close on March 23.

“While we understand that some people will be disappointed by this news, we can reassure customers that our Didcot store will continue to serve shoppers as normal and all colleagues in other roles will continue to work in the store.”

M&S has around 300 cafes across the country, but this is not the first closure of M&S cafes announced in recent months.

The retailer closed its M&S Cafe in Cookstown, Northern Ireland and Hollingbury, Brighton at the end of last year.

M&S has also closed some larger stores as part of a five-year plan to shake up branches.

A number of “lower-productivity, full-range stores” are being closed, meaning branches that stock everything from clothing and homewares to food.

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.

Which M&S stores are closing?

M&S has not released a full list of the locations of the 110 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

What happens to the main street?

Many retailers have struggled to make ends meet in recent years.

The pandemic was a heavy blow, as many shops had to close during the lockdown.

Since then, energy costs have risen and more consumers than ever are choosing to order online instead of going to the store.

This leaves some retailers struggling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.

For the most part, supermarkets have weathered the storm as they provide essential products such as food and drinks.

Asda is opening 21 new stores this year and is working on plans to hide 470 stores it acquired from Co-op.

Other retailers haven’t been so lucky. Currently under siege, The Body Shop has announced plans to close half of its 198 stores, seven of which have already closed.

Boots revealed it would close 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to develop its brand.

WHSmith told The Sun it has no plans to open any more high street stores as it wants to focus on the travel side of its business.

Major banks have also announced the closure of several branches.

Barclays will begin pulling down the shutters at fourteen locations in England, three in Wales and three in Scotland from April.

Even thrift stores are having a hard time Oxfam confirmed last year that it would close eight of its UK stores.

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 shops on the high streets 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.

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