Marks and Spencer have named the next 17 stores they are closing as part of their reorganisation plan.
The 17 proposed closures are part of the clothing, homeware and food retailer’s five year plan to shut more than 100 stores by 2022. The latest plan of closures from the company will leave 1,045 jobless who will now be involved in a consultation process. So far 30 stores have closed and another eight have been named. The company want to move a third of its sales online and have fewer stores in better locations.
The new 17 proposed store closures are:
- Ashford
- Barrow
- Bedford
- Boston
- Buxton
- Cwmbran
- Deal
- Felixstowe
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Junction One Antrim Outlet
- Luton Arndale
- Newark
- Northwich
- Rotherham
- Sutton Coldfield
- Weston-super-Mare
The company will consult staff and listen to alternative suggestions for how they can keep the stores open. No stores will be closed until this process has been completed, in a statement M&S said they have “the intention of retaining as many people as possible”.
Map of the 17 stores which have closures
The closure programme has already affected 1,891 people with 1,591 of them being redeployed to other parts of the business.
Sacha Berendji, M&S’s retail, operations and property director, said “Proposing to close stores is never easy, for our colleagues, customers or the local community, but it is vital for the future of M&S.
“Where we have closed stores, we are continuing to see an encouraging number of customers choosing other nearby locations and shopping on M&S.com.”
The 30 stores that have already closed are: Andover, Basildon, Birkenhead, Bournemouth, Bridlington, Clacton, Covent Garden, Crewe (relocation), Darlington, Dover, Durham, Falkirk, Fareham, Fforestfach, Greenock (relocation), Keighley, Kettering, New Mersey Speke Shopping Park, Newmarket, Newry (relocation), Northampton, Portsmouth, Putney, Redditch, Slough, Stockport, Stockton, Walsall, Warrington and Wokingham.
The eight stores that have previously been announced as set to close are: East Kilbride, Edgware Broadwalk, Falmouth, Holloway Road, Kirkcaldy, Llandudno (relocation), St Helens (relocation) and Wigan (Food hall opening at Robin Retail Park).
