M&S reaffirms store plans in £50m investment move

Retail giant Marks & Spencer has confirmed plans for two new stores in Lancashire as part of a £50m-plus investment in the North West that will create 300 jobs.

 It aims to deliver a new 'Food Hall' in Thornton Cleveleys and push forward with its plan to move its Blackburn store to Frontier Park on the outskirts of the town.

 The new outlet in Thornton-Cleveleys, pending planning permission from Wyre Council, will triple the size of the company's current offering in the town.

In east Lancashire, M&S has submitted a planning application for its proposed food outlet on the Issa brothers' Frontier Park retail hub, which sits just off Junction 6 of the M65.

The move, which will see the retailer quit Blackburn town centre, has sparked controversy.

 M&S currently operates 62 stores across the North West.

The investment, spread over the next three financial years, is part of the retailer’s plans to build new and improved stores across its estate and as well as the Lancashire outlets it also has developments planned in Speke, Formby, Warrington and Bolton.

 It describes the plan as a step forward in its store renewal and rotation programme, focused on having the right outlets in the right places and a key strand in the business’s transformation as it "reshapes for growth".

 At its half-year results, M&S announced that the rotation programme was picking up pace as new and renewed stores were trading well.

 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 that touch of M&S magic and the trusted value our customers expect and deserve."

 As well as creating hundreds of new jobs the investment programme will add 100,000 sq ft to its estate across the region.