Marks & Spencer invests £50 million in North West stores

Marks & Spencer is investing £50 million to enhance its stores in the North West of England over the next year, creating 300 jobs and 100,000 total new square footage across the region.

As its strategy continues to pick up pace, the new investment reflects another step forward in the high street retailer's store renewal programme, which is focussed on having the right stores in the right places.

Marks & Spencer operates 62 owned stores across Northwest England - spanning the region from Carlisle to Chester, as well as an additional 25 M&S stores in hospitals and travel settings.

It is aiming to have 180 higher quality, higher productivity full-line stores that sell clothing, home, beauty and food whilst also opening more than 100 bigger, better food sites by FY28.

The new investment plans

In Cheshire, the full-line store at Gemini Retail Park in Warrington has been redesigned and reopened with a refreshed clothing and home area, as well as a larger beauty department and food hall.

Just a few miles down the road from the new Gemini store, Marks & Spencer also plans to open a new outlet store in Warrington, which is expected to open towards the end of summer this year.

Meanwhile, a new full-line store in New Mersey Retail Park at Speke, South Liverpool, is awaiting planning approval. Expected to create over 100 new local jobs, the store will build on the success of the retailer's store at Liverpool One, which opened in 2023.

Marks & Spencer also plans a major extension for its full-line store in Bolton, Greater Manchester. An estimated 108 new jobs will be created for the extension as the British department store expands into a vacant unit in Middlebrook Retail Park.

Will Smith, Property Director at M&S, said: "As we reshape for growth, we want to open new stores we can be proud of and that deliver the best possible shopping experience for customers.

"Our pipeline of stores for 2025 demonstrates our continued investment in market-leading stores as we deliver our transformation priorities. We have the opportunity in the North west of England to continue investing in market-leading stores, as part of our renewal and rotation strategy, offering great quality products with the trusted value our customers expect and deserve.

All new store plans are subject to planning permission.