News of one brand-new store and one major relocation ensures the M&S physical expansion roadshow continues apace with both opening in key South West England destinations.

First M&S in Bath. The retailer’s £17 million investment in the historic city will see the opening of an all-new 83,000 sq ft store in the British Land-operated SouthGate shopping centre.

It will combine the retailer’s extensive Clothing & Beauty ranges alongside M&S Food, moving from its current Stall Street location when SouthGate opens. The opening date is yet to be announced.

Darren Richards, Head of Real Estate for property giant British Land, said: “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.”

Second, the retailer’s also set to return to Bristol city centre, spending a further £21 million to open a new 80,000 sq ft flagship store in the city’s Cabot Circus shopping destination.

Again, it will feature Clothing and Beauty alongside M&S Food, with the yet-to-be-announced opening anticipated to create an estimated 150 new jobs. 

Cabot Circus operator Hammerson’s CEO, Rita-Rose Gagné, said: “Having seen the positive impact of [M&S’s] presence across our other destinations… the brand 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.” 

The retailer said Cabot Circus will also complement its existing offer across the Bristol area, which includes Avonmeads, Eastgate, Imperial Park and Whiteladies Road stores as well as Longwell Green and Cribbs Causeway, the latter also undergoing a transformation.

M&S currently has over 45 stores across the South West, employing over 4,000 staff. It said these latest investments build on the £6 million spent on its existing South West stores over the past three years.  

It added that both the Bath and Bristol ventures are part of the retailer’s “store rotation strategy to make sure it has the right stores in the right place and with the right space to offer a brilliant shopping experience for customers”.

CEO Stuart Machin added: “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.” 

At its recent full-year results, the retailer announced plans to open up to four new full-line stores across the UK in the current financial year.