Marks & Spencer to open huge store in Cabot Circus in return to Bristol city centre

Bosses at M&S have announced that the high street retailer will return to Bristol city centre, and open a huge new store in Cabot Circus. The three-level M&S department and food store will be a flagship store for the region, and replace House of Fraser, which has been in the shopping centre since it opened 16 years ago, and will create 150 jobs, the retailer has said.

Bosses at Hammerson, which runs Cabot Circus, said they were ‘delighted’ with the news. Bosses at M&S announced the move at the firm’s AGM today (Tuesday, July 2), and said they would be investing £21 million in the transformation of the House of Fraser store.

The site is the biggest and ‘anchor’ store inside Cabot Circus, occupying all three levels of the shopping centre. M&S said it would offer customers food, clothing and beauty ranges from the 80,000sq ft store.

Read next: New Mark & Spencer store is 'strong vote of confidence' for Bristol city centre

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The opening means M&S would be returning to the city centre after its store in Broadmead closed in January 2022 after 70 years. The chain still has a main outlet at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, as well as food stores at Imperial Park, Whiteladies Road, Avonmeads, Eastgate and Longwell Green.

“It’s brilliant to be announcing our return to Bristol city centre today,” said chief executive Stuart Machin. “At Cabot Circus, we’re able to create a flagship store which delivers the best possible shopping experience for customers and showcases the very best of M&S.

"Our store rotation programme is all about ensuring we have the right stores in the right place and with the right space to excite and inspire our customers, including in city centres. This £21m investment will allow us to do just that while expanding our footprint across the South West."

The boss of Hammerson, which owns Cabot Circus, said the change will have a ‘positive impact’ on the shopping centre.

“We are delighted to continue expanding our partnership with M&S in Cabot Circus, having seen the positive impact of their presence across our other destinations,” said Hammerson chief executive Rita-Rose Gagné.

“M&S is a brand that resonates with our core catchment areas and this new store will support our strategy to create a leading destination, thriving at the heart of Bristol city centre,” she added.

The news was welcomed by the leader of Bristol City Council, Cllr Tony Dyer (Green, Southville). “We welcome the news that Marks & Spencer have decided to return to Bristol city centre, and I look forward to supporting their plans for a new store in Cabot Circus," he said. "This decision to take on a larger and very prominent site at the heart of our city’s retail centre is a strong vote of confidence in our local economy.

"In recent years the city centre retail sector has had to adapt to meet various challenges, but we are now seeing evident progress being made to return the sector to growth and the strengthening of the local offer. This is progress we wish to build upon and will continue to do so by working in partnership with local business leaders, community groups, our regional partners and others in the sector," he added.