M&S making permanent change from May 25 and shoppers say 'it's not great'

Marks and Spencer has devastated shoppers by announcing a NEW store closure. M&S has announced another store closure in a crushing blow to shoppers, amid a change in shopper habits and depleted footfall across major UK towns and cities.

M&S has announced its Sunderland city centre store will closure. The high street retailer will shut down operations of its High Street West store on May 25, 2024, with locals rushing to have their say and voicing their sadness over the move.

Speaking to the BBC, locals in Sunderland described M&S leaving the city’s high street as a “blow”. Haley Ramm told the public broadcaster: “It's going to take people out of Sunderland again and Washington is not great for people who shop here to get to.”

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Andy Preston, the former mayor of Middlesborough, previously said “the nature of the high street is changing”. The politician added: “Town centres need to reinvent themselves.” The retailer, which has run a store on High Street West in Sunderland for several decades, is opening a new store at the Washington Galleries on 30 May.

The new 47,000 sq ft shop will replace the M&S Simply Food currently located at the retail park. A full list of the M&S stores that are earmarked to be closed in 2024 and beyond shows Green Street, Neath - May 2024 and St Nicholas Street, Aberdeen - 2025 followed by St Mary Street, Weymouth - exact date to be announced and High Street West, Sunderland - exact date to be announced.

Other branches set to close include Maidens Walk, Hexham - exact date to be announced, Broadway Shopping Centre, Bradford - exact date to be announced, Exchange, Ilford, East London - exact date to be announced, King William Street, Blackburn - exact date to be announced and Walworth Road, Walworth, South London - exact date to be announced.