M&S announces 10 stores to close imminently in first wave of 67 closures

Cathy Owen
·2-min read
Marks & Spencer in Neath is set to close
Marks & Spencer in Neath is set to close -Credit:Google


Marks and Spencer has announced the closure of 10 stores, with the first set to shut its doors within days. The retail giant has plans to close a total of 67 stores across the UK over the next four years, including one in Wales.

The company has confirmed that one store will close this month, with another nine expected to follow suit. The Queensgate Shopping Centre branch in Peterborough is set to close on April 20. Over the Easter weekend, M&S also closed its Cheltenham store, and nine other stores are set to shut their doors, including the Neath store by May 2024. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter

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Craig Burton, regional manager for M&S, said: "Shopping habits are changing, so we're rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores to offer customers. In recent years, we have invested over £31million in our stores in the east of England and we look forward to working with the local council to bring forward plans for further future investment into Peterborough and the wider local area."

Wales regional manager Allison Jenkins said: "We are committed to Wales and in the past three years we have invested £18m in updating our Welsh stores and we’re also growing the number of Welsh suppliers we’re working with.

“This has been a tough decision but means we can invest in many of our twenty-two other stores in Wales, so we keep pace with the demands of our customers today and in the future. Our priority now is to talk to our colleagues about what this announcement means for them and to support them through these changes."

Other stores that will be closed include Aberdeen in Scotland by 2025, and Weymouth, Sunderland, Walworth in London, and Hexham, with exact dates yet to be confirmed. The list of closures is rounded off with branches in Bradford, Ilford, and Blackburn, though specific closing dates for these locations have not been announced.

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