M&S to open flagship stores in Bath and Bristol

Marks and Spencer has revealed plans to open new flagship stores in Bath and Bristol as it looks to cement its offering around the UK.

The move will see it return to Bristol city centre with a brand-new 80,000 sq ft flagship full-line store at Cabot Circus.

The store is backed by a £21m investment by the retailer and will see it offer customer products from 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.

Cabot Circus complements M&S’ existing offer across Bristol, including its Avonmeads, Eastgate, Imperial Park and Whiteladies Road stores as well as Cribbs Causeway and Longwell Green.

It is also set to open a new 83,000 sq ft store in SouthGate Shopping Centre in Bath. The move totals a £17m investment by the retailer, with colleagues at its current Stall Street store offered the opportunity to relocate to the new store once open. The Stall Street store will continue trading until that point.

M&S CEO Stuart Machin, who announced the plans at the retailer’s AGM today in response to a shareholder question, said: “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.”

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 existing South West stores over the past three years.