Store closures have become very common as British shopping and spending habits have changed over the years, due to factors such as the Covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
M&S is the latest beloved retailer to announce that some shops will be closing their doors for good – however it’s not all bad news.
The British retailer is reportedly set to shut its High Street West store in Sunderland.
Local shoppers were saddened by the proposed closure, with one taking to Facebook stating: “That’s so sad to hear! It’s been there for as long as I’ve been alive.”
M&S may close stores in Sunderland and Aberdeen
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M&S regional manager Philip Barker-Thomson explained: “Shopping habits are changing, so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores to offer customers a brilliant shopping experience.”
If the closure goes ahead, staff will be offered alternative roles in M&S.
A new store in Sunderland is also set to open, so locals will not be without. This new store will be in Washington Galleries, Sunderland.
While a date for this opening is yet to be confirmed, the High Street West will stay open until the new store is complete.
M&S shoppers in Scotland are about to face some changes too, including one store closure and an exciting expansion.
The retailer has confirmed that its store at St Nicholas Street, Aberdeen, will be shutting.
But all is not lost for locals, because an M&S store expansion will also take place in the city’s Union Square shopping centre, set to be up and running by spring 2025.
This comes as the retailer has announced a huge investment into M&S in Scotland.
The retailer has unveiled plans to invest £15million in Aberdeen City Centre to almost double the size of M&S Aberdeen Union Square, in a modern flagship large format store.
M&S will invest £30 million in bricks and mortar stores across Scotland
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Locals can expect a spacious fresh market-style food hall with new features including a flower shop, cheese barge, large in-store bakery and dedicated M&S Wine Shop. There will also be bigger clothing, home and beauty departments with plenty of choice for shoppers.
There will be a £30million investment over Scotland overall, with the retailer investing in bricks and mortar stores across the country, delivering more than five new store openings and expansions over the next 18 months.
M&S Operations Director Sacha Berendji said: “This is our biggest ever investment in Scotland, putting £30million into transforming the shopping experience for customers in Aberdeen, Largs, Dundee and Linlithgow – bringing new jobs across the country with bigger, better, fresh-market style food halls and new opportunities for Scottish shoppers to access our best-ever, most inspiringly presented clothing, home and beauty range.”
GB News has contacted M&S for comment.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
