Marks & Spencer to invest 13 million pounds in North East retail network

Department store chain Marks & Spencer has announced a 13 million pounds investment into its North East retail estate, starting with a redesign of its Newcastle store beginning this month.

The retailer said that its Northumberland Street location will be transformed through a multi-million pound redesign, with a refresh of its Foodhall, Clothing, Home and Beauty departments.

The scheme is to be carried out in stages to enable the store to stay open, with the Foodhall first expected to be completed later this year while improvements to the other departments are to follow in early 2024.

It comes as Marks & Spencer also prepares to open a new, bigger store at the Galleries Retail Park in Washington, where it says there will be a bigger range of products than ever before.

Construction work on the 47,000 square foot space, previously spanning three units, has already begun and is expected to be completed in spring 2024, during which time its existing Simply Food store will remain open.

Last year, the company had already announced another 48.5 million pound investment into the northern region, where it operates 21 owned stores, as it had set out to update its space in Newcastle’s Silverlink Shopping Park and its Foodhall in Gosforth.

With the latest funding, however, Marks & Spencer said it plans to introduce its latest store design and in-store technology to offer a seamless omnichannel experience, including mobile ‘Scan & Shop’ services and click & collect offerings.