MARKS & Spencer will be shutting the doors of some of its shops within days, but opening some in new locations.
The closures are part of 67 expected over the next five years, with seven locations and dates revealed so far.
1
The latest store to be shutting its doors is in Castleford on Carlton Street.
This shop will be closing on Saturday April 22 for good.
Last week (April 15), the M&S in Linthorpe Road, Middlesborough, which first opened more than 100 years ago, shut its doors.
And the branch in Meadowbank retail park, Edinburgh shut up shop on April 1.
M&S closed its Fenchurch Street store in London on March 31.
Meanwhile M&S in Eastkilbride shut on February 25.
Further closures include Newport Road, Cardiff in ‘spring’, but an exact date has yet to be confirmed.
M&S in Eagles Meadow, Wrexham, will also bring down its shutters in autumn.
Most read in Money
Another store in Deansgate, Bolton is also shutting up shop, but no time frame has been given.
The closures come as part of plans to shut some of its “lower productivity, full line stores”.
However, all is not lost as the retailer has also said it will be opening new stores this year.
In January, the M&S group said that over the next financial year it will open eight stores stocking its full range in shopping centres, as well as 12 new food halls too.
The new store plans come under a wider restructure, with the group last year revealing it would reduce the number of its stores by 67 to 180 over the next five years.
The newest store to open will be in Purley, which will open on April 27.
The new store will come with a clothing department and foodhall and will create 150 jobs in the local area.
Shopping centres getting new stores include the Bullring in Birmingham and the Trafford Centre in Manchester, as well in as retail parks and high streets across key cities.
Some of the new stores will be the sites of former Debenhams department stores.
The new food halls will be in areas including Stockport, Barnsley and the seaside town of Largs in North Ayrshire, Scotland.
While M&S haven’t revealed the full list of new locations and their dates here’s the list of the ones we do know:
- Purley Way (expected Summer 2023)
- Leeds White Rose (expected Summer 2023)
- Liverpool ONE (expected Summer 2023)
- Birmingham Bullring (Autumn 2023)
- Lakeside Thurrock (Winter 2023)
- Manchester Trafford Centre (Winter 2023)
- Stockport (expected Summer 2023)
- Barnsley (expected Autumn 2023)
- Largs (expected Winter 2023)
The new openings will bring investment in new stores to £480 million, M&S said.
It will also be investing in its digital offering, with the rollout of click-and-collect to 130 stores across the UK.
What other shops are closing?
There are a few brands marking branches up for closure as the the coronavirus pandemic and other rising costs continue to take a hit.
For example Paperchase closed stores in April following its collapse into administration in January.
The final closing for the brand was April 3 as the chain hosts its farewell 70% off sale.
Elsewhere M&Co is getting rid of the following branches on Saturday, April 1:
- Lewes
- Gosport
- Belper
- Beccles
- Newquay
- Lerwick
It follows on from when the brand and intellectual property was sold to Yours Clothing but the stores weren’t and are set to close.
Clintons also shut two branches this month – Gloucester on April 1 and Fife on April 8.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
