M&S has shared its plans to shut three major department stores following several closures last year.
The posh shop, which has 405 stores across the UK, is set to close its branches in Aberdeen, Peterborough and Sunderland.
ReutersFILE PHOTO: A sign for Marks and Spencer (M&S) hangs outside one of their UK stores in London, Britain, December 28, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo[/caption]
Its store in the Queensgate Shopping Centre, Peterborough, is due to close in April, but a final date will be determined after a consultation.
The retailer announced plans to close the shopping centre store because shoppers changed shopping habits.
The store has three floors, including a food hall and an M&S cafe.
Shoppers could also find a variety of different clothing and a Bureau de Change.
But the imminent closure means shoppers must soon head to M&S Peterborough Brotherhood store for M&S food, clothes and home products.
Or they will need to go to the M&S Foodhall in Serpentine Green shopping centre to pick up click & collect purchases.
M&S is then closing the much-loved department store on Aberdeen‘s St Nicholas Street in the city centre.
Located just off Union Street, the shop has been a popular mainstay on the struggling high street since it opened in 1944.
However, the branch is set to close down which has left shoppers gutted.
It will shut its doors for a final time in 2025, the Press and Journal reported.
However, the company has pledged that there will be no losses of permanent jobs following the closure.
This is because it is expanding the nearby Union Square branch which is expected to open in spring next year – just after the St Nicholas Street store closes.
M&S is also consulting on closing its Sunderland store, which is located on High Street West.
An exact date for the store’s closure is yet to be confirmed because a concrete decision on the store’s future is yet to be finalised.
But it’s not all bad news for shoppers, as M&S is set to open a brand new store in Washington Galleries, Sunderland.
A date for this opening is yet to be confirmed, but the high street store will remain open until the new store is up and running.
Meanwhile, M&S has also confirmed the closure of its store in St Nicholas Street, Aberdeen.
It will make way for an expanded M&S store in the city’s Union Square shopping centre, where work is set to be completed in Spring 2025.
Sacha Berendji, M&S operations director said: “Plans for this longer-term relocation have today been shared with colleagues – with all those on permanent contracts transferring over to M&S Aberdeen Union Square or other nearby stores next year.”
Edinburgh, Dundee, Largs and Linlithgow will also be getting new or expanded M&S stores within the next year. The dates are as follows:
New M&S Foodhall in Linlithgow – opening later this month
A new full-line store in Dundee’s Gallagher Retail Park – opening in summer
New M&S Foodhall in Largs – early 2025
But M&S is still expected to close dozens of stores over the next five years.
Last year, M&S revealed that it would permanently shut ten stores and relocate more shops.
It’s part of the retailer’s plans to create more flagship M&S stores and food halls across the UK.
The full list of M&S closures that have taken place so far are:
East Kilbride – February 2023
Fenchurch Street, London – March 2023
Meadowbank Retail Park in Edinburgh – April 2023
Castleford – April 2023
Bolton – April 2023
Cardiff – April 2023
Manchester – August 2023
Swindon – October 2023
Birmingham city centre – November 2023
Barnsley’s town centre – November 2023
Cities like Leeds and Liverpool have already become home to new M&S stores.
Nine openings in November included six new stores plus three store renewals.
M&S is moving from having 247 stores to 180, but it says that these remaining locations will be higher quality, higher productivity stores and stock a wider range, including clothing, home, and food.
It also plans to open over 100 bigger Foodhall sites by 2028.
M&S plans to operate 180 full-line and 400 food halls in the next five years.
The new openings will bring investment in new stores to £480million, M&S said in May.
It will also be investing in its digital offering, with the rollout of click-and-collect to 130 stores across the UK.
Meanwhile, The Sun has put together a full list of shops closing stores before the end of January including Boots and HMV.