London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 22, 2025

Marks & Spencer's new shops plan to create 3,400 jobs as part of £480m investment

Marks & Spencer's new shops plan to create 3,400 jobs as part of £480m investment

M&S is opening new shops designed 'with families in mind' across the UK as part of a huge investment which could transform abandoned Debenhams stores on High Streets and inside popular shopping centres.
Marks & Spencer is to open 20 new shops and create thousands of new jobs, thanks to an investment in its stores worth £480m.

New M&S stores will open at former Debenhams sites in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Thurrock this year, the retailer has announced.

More than 3,400 jobs will be created over three years, according to M&S.

Debenhams shut for good in May 2021 as COVID-19 lockdowns proved to be the final straw for the department store chain.

But M&S has now announced expansion plans which could revive some abandoned Debenhams locations.

Sites in Leeds's White Rose shopping centre, Liverpool's ONE shopping centre, Birmingham's Bullring, Manchester's Trafford Centre and Lakeside shopping centre in West Thurrock will be converted into full M&S stores.

The new shops in Leeds and Liverpool will open in the summer, with the new Birmingham store scheduled to follow in the autumn. M&S said the Manchester and Thurrock shops will open towards the end of 2023.

A total of 12 new Marks & Spencer food halls will also open this year. Food outlets are planned in Stockport, Barnsley in South Yorkshire and Largs in North Ayrshire.

The department store said it is also extending its food offering via franchise partnerships, building on the presence of its convenience food in Costa Coffee shops and service stations.

'Bigger and better' shops

M&S said the better than expected performance of "recently relocated and renewed stores" had given the company the confidence to "go faster" with its plans for change.

It said each of the larger new stores had been designed "with local families in mind", with wider aisles and more spacious clothing and home departments, allowing shoppers to browse more easily.

While new, larger stores are being built the overall number of M&S brick and mortar will recline from 247 to 180 "higher quality, higher productivity full line stores that sell our full clothing, home and food offer whilst also opening over 100 bigger, better food sites.

The shops will also have new M&S cafes, as well as sustainable initiatives such as Fill Your Own, and offer free car parking.

Chief executive Stuart Machin said stores were a "key part" of the group's future, alongside online trading.

He said: "Our store rotation programme is about making sure we have the right stores, in the right place, with the right space and we're aiming to rotate from the 247 stores we have today to 180 higher-quality, higher-productivity full-line stores that sell our full clothing, home and food offer whilst also opening over 100 bigger, better food sites."

Sales were ahead of forecasts in clothing and home sales in Colchester and Llandudno, while the newly expanded M&S food shop in Harrogate outperformed by 26%.

The strong figures were illustrative of increased sales across M&S stores in the final three months of last year.

Like-for-like food sales were up by 6.3% over the 13 weeks to 31 December. The brand's clothing and home products enjoyed their greatest market share for seven years, with sales up by 8.6%.

As recently as November M&S reported a big dip in profits and warned of a "gathering storm" ahead from rising costs and squeezed consumer budgets.

Profit before tax and adjusting items was £205.5m for the six months to 1 October, 24% down on the same period a year previous, despite an 8.5% revenue increase across the business.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×