‘M&S is the only decent shop left’ scream shoppers as the iconic British retailer confirms ANOTHER store closure

SHOPPERS have been left devastated after M&S confirmed it could shut another town centre store following a wave of closures.

Marks and Spencer is planning to close one of its east London stores.

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A spokesperson for M&S confirmed to 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 as to whether or not the store will shut down.

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

“Full of junk shops run by idiots.

“The whole area is a s**thole.

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

Another said: “Might as well close the whole of Ilford down nothing much their any more so sad.”

It comes after M&S, which runs 405 stores across the country, closed a string of branches across the country in a blow for shoppers.

In 2022, the retailer announced plans to shut 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 to this, 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 financial year.

At the same time it said it’s opening 104 new “bigger and fresher” food stores.

It previously said it wanted to reduce the number of clothing and home shops down to 180 from 247 and expand its Simply Food shops from 316 to 420. 

In the last 12 months, it has opened 22 sites including in Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester, a spokesperson said.

Retailers closing stores in 2024

RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.

High energy costs and a move to shopping online are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.

Here’s a list of all the big-name brands closing stores this year:

• Argos – The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone UK branches last year as it looks to move away from the high street and focus on expanding its presence in supermarkets.
• B&Q – The chain has over 300 shops across the UK, so chances are you have one near you, but some stores have closed in recent months.
• Boots – The health and beauty chain announced that it would be closing 300 stores last July. Closures are ongoing and this will see the retailer’s estate reduced from 2,200 to 1,900 shops.
• Clintons – Clintons mulled plans to close 38 shops in a bid to avoid insolvency late last year. We’ve listed the stores affected.
• Costa Coffee – The caffeine giant has around 2,000 sites nationwide, so chances are you’ll have one near you. The chain has shut the doors to dozens of its sites recently. We’ve revealed which stores are due to close this year.
• Iceland – The supermarket has more than 900 stores but closed nearly two dozen sites in 2023, and more selected shops are due to shut.
• Lidl – The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing up shop locations, which has meant that some stores have to close. But the retailer is also looking to open 12 new supermarkets.
• M&S – M&S, which runs 405 stores across the country, has been closing a string of branches across the country in a blow for shoppers. It’s not all bad news, though, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new shops as well.
• Trespass – The firm announced in July last year that it was closing six branches, but more are on the way.
• WHSmith – The retail giant, which runs over 1,100 stores, has shuttered eight stores since March 2023, but more are coming.

Why are retailers closing branches?

Recent figures from the Centre for Retail Research reveal over 10,000 shops closed their doors for the final time last year.

Meanwhile, the foundation found nearly 120,000 workers lost their jobs across the same 12-month period.

It comes amidst a turbulent time for the high street as businesses battle high energy and wage costs, and costly business rates.

Shoppers are increasingly turning to online retail as well which has seen retailers forced to shutter branches.

A number of notable brands have gone bust, including Wilko, 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’s not been all bad news as a number of retailers have been expanding their physical presence across the UK.

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

In February, Primark confirmed plans to open new branches and invest and renovate more than a dozen of its existing shops.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk