M&S has announced its intention to launch two new flagship stores in Bath and Bristol as part of its efforts to enhance its physical retail presence.
These new stores represent a total investment of £38 million and are aimed at providing customers with a comprehensive offering of M&S Food, Clothing, and Beauty products.
In Bath, M&S will move its central store to a larger 83,000sq ft location in the SouthGate Shopping Centre, providing current employees at the Stall Street store with the opportunity to relocate.
Additionally, the retailer will be reentering the Bristol city center with an 80,000sq ft store at Cabot Circus, leading to the creation of approximately 150 new jobs.
Stuart Machin, M&S CEO, stated: “Our goal is to provide customers with an exceptional shopping experience every time they visit us. By investing £17 million in a new flagship store in Bath, we aim to fulfill this commitment and solidify M&S’ presence in the city.
“We have observed positive outcomes from store relocations in urban hubs like Liverpool and Birmingham, enabling us to attract new clientele and empowering us to expedite our strategy.”
Machin further commented: “We are delighted to announce our reentry into Bristol city center. The flagship store at Cabot Circus allows us to offer customers an outstanding shopping experience and showcase the best of M&S.
“Our store rotation initiative focuses on ensuring that we have strategically positioned stores that captivate and inspire our customers, particularly in city centers. This £21 million investment in Bristol will enable us to achieve that objective while expanding our presence in the South West region.”
During the recent full-year results presentation, M&S revealed its plans to launch up to four new full-line stores and nine new foodhalls across the UK in the current financial year.
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