Marks & Spencer PLC (LON:MKS) plans to open 34 new Food stores and two Clothing, Home and Food stores in the next six months as part of its five-year programme to improve its UK store estate.
In a statement on its website, the FTSE 100-listed retailer said the store openings include new Foodhalls on Bishopsgate, London, in Huntingdon, Aylesbury, Spinningfields, central Manchester, and Strood in Kent.
The new locations for M&S with Clothing, Home and Food stores will be in Bracknell and Rushden, which both open in July.
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The group said over 1,400 new customer assistant and management jobs will be created by the new shops.
M&S said it is also consulting over the proposed closure of four stores in Portsmouth, Slough, Warrington, and Wokingham, as well as two Simply Food stores in Monks Cross and Worksop.
The group said if the proposals go ahead, all 380 staff in the affected stores would be guaranteed redeployment at a near-by store.
M&S boss says customer shopping habits changing
Steve Rowe, M&S’s chief executive, said: “M&S stores will always be an integral part of our customer offer, working seamlessly alongside our website, M&S.com, to deliver great products and service to our customers.
“However, our customers’ shopping habits are changing. Picking up food for now or tonight rather than doing one big shop or browsing and shopping online and collecting in store are great examples of this and we are committed to adapting our business so that we stay in tune with our customers.”
M&S announced its five-year UK estate programme in November after a full review of its store portfolio.
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The group currently has 959 UK stores – 304 full line stores, 615 food-only stores and 40 outlets.