High street retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has announced plans to open new stores in Bath and Bristol.
At its recent AGM, M&S revealed plans to open a brand-new 83,000sqft flagship store in Bath, relocating to a new location at SouthGate.
The move totals a £17m investment by the retailer, allowing it to offer the very best shopping experience for its customers, and guarantee a future for M&S in Bath.
Colleagues at the current Stall Street store will have the opportunity to relocate to the new store and the Stall Street store will continue trading until the SouthGate store is ready to open.
The move is part of the retailer’s store rotation strategy to make sure it has the right stores in the right place and with the right space to offer a brilliant shopping experience for customers. At its recent full-year results, the retailer announced plans to open up to four new full-line stores and nine new foodhalls across the UK in the current financial year.
M&S CEO Stuart Machin, said: “We want to offer the best possible shopping experience for customers every single time they shop with us. This new £17m investment in a flagship Bath store means we can deliver on that promise and secure M&S’ future in the city. Our store rotation strategy is all about making sure we can showcase the very best of M&S – and that touch of M&S magic – from stores which excite and inspire. We’ve seen great results so far where we have relocated stores, in city centres like Liverpool and Birmingham, helping us to attract new customers and giving us the confidence to go faster with the strategy.”
Furthermore, M&S also announced plans to return to Bristol with the opening of a brand-new flagship store in Cabot Circus.
The 80,000sqft store is backed by a £21m investment by the retailer and will offer customers the very best of M&S Food, Clothing and Beauty.
The opening is anticipated to create an estimated 150 new jobs and is part of the retailer’s store rotation strategy to make sure it has the right stores in the right place and with the right space.
Work is currently underway to transform the Cribbs Causeway store.
M&S CEO Stuart Machin, added: “It’s brilliant to be announcing our return to Bristol city centre today. At Cabot Circus, we’re able to create a flagship store which delivers the best possible shopping experience for customers and showcases the very best of M&S. Our store rotation programme is all about ensuring we have the right stores in the right place and with the right space to excite and inspire our customers, including in city centres. This £21m investment will allow us to do just that while expanding our footprint across the South West.”
As it stands, M&S currently has over 45 stores across the South West, employing over 4,000 colleagues and working with over 1,100 Select Farmers in the region. This latest investment builds on the c.£6m invested in its South West stores over the past three years.
