M&S has revealed that it will close 100 stores across the UK in the next four years.
Of the 100 stores, 21 have already been shut and M&S has now revealed the location of 14 further sites to close.
Alongside relocations, conversions, downsizes and the introduction of concessions, these closures will radically reshape M&S’s Clothing & Home space.
Under its plan, M&S wants to move a third of its sales online and plans to have fewer, larger clothing and homeware stores in better locations.
The brand will concentrate on expanding its online operation in the hope it will bring in a third of all sales by 2022 and squeeze more cash out of its hugely successful food business.
Sacha Berendji, Retail, Operations and Property Director at Marks & Spencer said, “We are making good progress with our plans to reshape our store estate to be more relevant to our customers and support our online growth plans. Closing stores isn’t easy but it is vital for the future of M&S. Where we have closed stores, we are seeing an encouraging number of customers moving to nearby stores and enjoying shopping with us in a better environment, which is why we’re continuing to transform our estate with pace.”
The acceleration of M&S’s UK store estate programme is part of M&S’s wider five-year transformation plan to make M&S special again. Under the plan M&S has the ambition to create fewer, better Clothing & Home stores. These stores will be larger, digitally enabled, better located and more inspirational for customers to shop.They will also be supported by a seamless online experience across all digital channels including mobile and social, and by a conveniently located network of Food stores that offer customers a next-day collect in store service for Clothing & Home purchases.
