M&S to invest £50m in North West stores

M&S has announced a £50m investment in stores across the North West of England for the year ahead, creating 300 jobs and 100,000 total new square footage across its store estate in the area.

The investment is another step forward in M&S’s store renewal and rotation programme, focused on having the “right stores in the right places” and is a key strand in the business’s transformation as it reshapes for growth. 

At its half-year results, M&S announced that its store rotation programme is picking up pace as new and renewed stores are trading well, with relocations of full line stores more productive and renewal stores able to offer a full M&S Food range.

The investment, which is spread across the next three financial years, will see three stores across the North west renewed to the latest format and five brand new stores in new locations.

In Cheshire, M&S has revamped its Gemini Retail Park store in Warrington to enhance the shopping experience. The redesigned store features an updated clothing and home section, an expanded beauty department with both M&S and third-party brands, a significantly larger food hall with double the fresh produce space, and an upgraded in-store bakery offering takeaway coffee.

M&S is aiming to have 180 higher quality, higher productivity full line stores that sell the full clothing, home and food offer whilst also opening over 100 bigger, better food sites by FY2028. Just a few miles down the road from the new Gemini store, M&S plans to open a brand-new outlet store in Warrington, which is expected to open towards the end of Summer this year.

In Liverpool, a new full-line store in Speke’s New Mersey Retail Park, pending approval, will replace the existing Food Hall, creating over 100 jobs and offering a wider range of products. The store will incorporate energy-efficient innovations seen in Liverpool One, which has reduced energy and carbon usage by 44%. In Formby, a new food hall at The Point will replace the smaller current store and support 60 local jobs.

In Lancashire, M&S plans to open a 16,000 sq. ft. food hall in Thornton-Cleveleys, pending approval, tripling the store’s size and introducing a bakery, fresh produce, and dedicated Flower and Wine Shops. In Blackburn, the retailer has applied for planning permission to relocate to Frontier Park to offer a wider food selection.

Greater Manchester will also see major growth, with the Bolton store at Middlebrook Retail Park set for expansion, creating 108 jobs. In Sale, a £2.1m investment has delivered a redesigned food hall, now open with an expanded bakery, a coffee-to-go counter, and a brand-new food to order service.

Will Smith, property director at M&S, said: “Our pipeline of stores for 2025 demonstrates our continued investment in market-leading stores as we deliver our transformation priorities. We have the opportunity in the North west of England to continue investing in market-leading stores, as part of our renewal and rotation strategy, offering great quality products with that touch of M&S magic and the trusted value our customers expect and deserve.

“M&S already has many local supplier partnerships such as Park Cakes in Oldham who make the customer-favourite Colin the Caterpillar cakes, and these new stores will help showcase their products and support jobs throughout the supply chain.”