Marks & Spencer will open nine new stores in November, in a move that the retailer has described as its ‘biggest-ever store-opening month.’
The openings include six new outlets and three remodelled stores, amounting to a total investment of £80 million in bricks-and-mortar retail.
The first store will open on 7 November, in Birmingham’s Bullring, followed by at least one store launch every seven days throughout the month, the retailer added.
New stores located throughout the UK will support over 2,200 local jobs and deliver environmental benefits, the company noted.
Sacha Berendji, operations director at Marks & Spencer, said, “Stores are key to our business, and we see them as part of our competitive advantage. Increasing numbers of customers are heading back into stores to experience the best of M&S all under one roof, supported by outstanding service from our colleagues, and we expect this to continue as we head into Christmas.
“To deliver our biggest-ever store-opening month, which supports thousands of jobs, is an outstanding effort from the team and shows just how serious we are about accelerating our rotation plans, so we are in the right locations for our customers.”
Store Openings
Marks & Spencer will open three new full-line stores – in Birmingham’s Bullring, Lakeside Thurrock and the Manchester Trafford Centre.
All three outlets involve store relocations and form part of the retailer’s investment to regenerate vacant sites.
Other openings include three new M&S Foodhalls and three remodelled stores.
The openings are part of the retailer’s aim to become one of the leading omnichannel retailers in the UK, with its store rotation programme at the centre of this goal.
The retailer aims to rotate from a base of 247 stores to 180 higher-quality, higher-productivity full-line stores, which sell its clothing, home and food ranges.
