Marks and Spencer is also refurbishing existing stores, with more than 200 jobs being created
Marks and Spencer has announced two new Foodhall supermarkets will be opening in London before Christmas and there are existing stores reopening after major refurbishments. The new Foodhall openings will be in November in Clapham Common and in the former Whole Foods Market site on Fulham Broadway.
The existing Chiswick store will also reopen in early December following an upgrade. This follows on from big updates last week with the the opening of a brand new 5,300 square foot Foodhall on Southampton Street in Covent Garden, plus reopening of M&S’s Temple Fortune and Wimbledon Foodhalls.
In total, these six new openings and store makeovers have created more than 200 jobs. Marks and Spencer is investing £90 million in London which covers six new Foodhall openings and 11 store upgrades this financial year. M&S Food at Paddington station, which is operated under a franchise, is also undergoing a renewal next month.
The existing M&S stores undergoing upgrades will get bakery and coffee counters, a market-style produce offer with fresh fruit and vegetables sourced from M&S Select Farms, as well as dedicated Flower and Wine shops.
Thinus Keeve, Retail Director at M&S, said: “We want to be proud of every store we have across the capital and as we reshape for growth, our focus is opening new stores to grow our footprint but also renewing those stores where we can deliver a better shopping experience for our customers. It’s brilliant to have such a strong property pipeline across London in the months ahead.”
The London investment comes at a time when M&S announced it will be closing 11 cafés nationwide in its smaller food shops. The locations of these 11 cafés are yet to be confirmed. It stressed that no jobs will be cut, with impacted staff maintaining roles in the stores.
A M&S spokesman said: “As we look to modernise our food business and offer the best of M&S Food to more people, more often, we’re investing in our store estate to give our customers the widest possible product range. This includes opening brand-new coffee shops offering delicious food and barista-made fairtrade coffee, including at our brand-new Bristol Cabot Circus store.
“In some of our small Food stores, where customers want a greater range of M&S Food, our transformation also involves repurposing café space across 11 small food stores, out of over 300 M&S cafes, coffee shop and coffee to go locations.”
M&S London openings and upgrades ahead of Christmas
New London M&S Foodhalls
- Southampton Street, Covent Garden – Opened on October 15
- Clapham Common – November opening
- Fulham Broadway – November opening
London store refurbishments
- Wimbledon – Reopened on October 13
- Temple Fortune – Reopened on October 15
- Chiswick – Renewal in December
- Paddington Station – Renewal in November
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