Marks & Spencer has announced a major expansion of its food store estate, launching a list of 500 target locations across the UK as it aims to significantly grow its food business.
Under the plan, M&S intends to reshape its store estate to a structure of 180 full line stores and 420 standalone Food stores. The company is particularly focused on securing larger format sites capable of stocking its full range of Food product lines, setting an average trading space target of 18,000 sq ft.
The retailer says that its food stores opened in the past three years have delivered strong results, prompting it to widen its site search, including towns where it does not currently operate such as Hove, Marlborough and Wallingford. The new format will feature broader aisles to accommodate larger shopping trolleys, extended product ranges and larger car parks aimed at family shoppers.
In addition, M&S announced that 20 new or renewed stores will open between November and March, creating around 800 jobs. The company also highlighted its acquisition of 12 former Homebase sites this summer, which will be converted into some of its largest standalone Food stores, with the first of them set to open before Christmas in Cannock.
According to the retailer, more than half of its total store estate, including convenience format stores, is expected to operate in the renewal format by April 2028. The company said it is targeting sites that are highly visible and accessible, ideally with strong footfall and public transport links. Within the M25 it is also open to smaller Foodhalls of between 6,000 and 18,000 sq ft, with gross space up to 25,000 sq ft.
In a comment, Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of M&S Food, said:
“The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth. With more than twenty stores opening or modernised before the end of the financial year, we are moving faster. Our team want new sites where we could open a large M&S Food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers.”
