M&S to open flagship stores in Bristol and Bath

Marks & Spencer is set to open two new flagship stores in the South West in Bristol and Bath.

The retailer will return to Bristol City Centre with the opening of an 80,000 sq ft space in Cabot Circus, following a £21m investment.

The Bristol store – which will offer a range of M&S food, clothing, and beauty products – will join M&S’s other stores in the city including in Avonmeads, Eastgate, Imperial Park, Whiteladies Road, Cribbs Causeway, and Longwell Green.

Work is currently underway to transform the Cribbs Causeway store.

Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, said: “It’s brilliant to be announcing our return to Bristol city centre today. 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.”

Rita-Rose Gagné, CEO of scheme owner Hammerson, said, “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. 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.”

In Bath, the retailer will be relocating to an 83,000 sq ft store at SouthGate Shopping Centre, supported by an investment of £17m.

The store will offer both M&S’s food and clothing ranges.

The opening marks a relocation from the retailer’s stores on Stall Street, which will remain open until the SouthGate store launches.

Stuart Machin said: “We want to offer the best possible shopping experience for customers every single time they shop with us. This new £17m investment in a flagship Bath store means we can deliver on that promise and secure M&S’ future in the city. Our store rotation strategy is all about making sure we can showcase the very best of M&S – and that touch of M&S magic – from stores which excite and inspire. We’ve seen great results so far where we have relocated stores, in city centres like Liverpool and Birmingham, helping us to attract new customers and giving us the confidence to go faster with the strategy.”

Darren Richards, head of real estate at scheme owner British Land, added: “SouthGate’s prominent city centre location and strong national transport links create a compelling offer for our occupiers, and following this letting we are delighted that the scheme is now fully let. Marks and Spencer is a great retailer with whom we continue to work closely as they expand their offer across our retail portfolio. They will be a brilliant addition to the strong line up at SouthGate.”

The openings form part of the retailer’s store rotation strategy to make sure it has ‘the right stores in the right place’. At its recent full-year results, M&S announced plans to open up to four new full-line stores and nine new foodhalls across the UK in the current financial year.