M&S opens its first ever airside stores at Heathrow Terminal 5

Marks and Spencer has opened its first airside stores at Heathrow Terminal 5, offering food and gift products ahead of the summer holiday period.

The launch marks Marks and Spencer’s first move into airside retail, with a food-focused store at Gate A and a separate gifting outlet at Gate B.

Heathrow chief commercial officer Ross Baker and British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle attended the opening, with Doyle becoming the first customer in store.

Travellers were greeted by brand mascot Percy Pig as they shopped from the summer food range and a selection of gift items, including boxed chocolates and biscuit tins. The shops will open daily from the first to the last flight.

The new locations are part of Marks and Spencer’s ongoing store rotation and renewal programme, and add to its existing portfolio of 15 landside airport stores across the UK and Europe. 

The company hopes to extend its reach beyond its core UK customer base to the 200,000 passengers who pass through Heathrow daily.

The  new stores feature “premium” finishes and the brand’s signature colour scheme.

Alex Freudmann, managing director at Marks and Spencer Food, said: “Terminal 5 is the UK’s busiest terminal, making it the perfect location to debut our airside offer.

“This launch builds on the success of our well-established landside airport stores across the UK and allows us to serve customers even closer to their departure gates. Whether travellers are looking for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or a British gift to take home, we’re aiming to bring some M&S magic to their journey through Heathrow.”

Baker added: “We are delighted to welcome M&S’s first airside food stores to Heathrow. This partnership reflects our ambition to make every journey better by offering passengers more choice, quality and convenience at every stage of their trip.”