M&S to close York store as part of improvement programme

Marks & Spencer is closing down its food hall site at Monks Cross near York as part of wider “improvement plans”.

As part of these plans, six branches will close. However 34 new stores have been planned in the next six months.

These include a mix of new food stores and clothing, home and food stores in London’s Bishopsgate, Huntingdon, Aylesbury, Spinningfields, Bracknell and Strood in Kent, amongst others.

The company said that the 380 staff at risk at the closing stores will be guaranteed redeployment at a nearby store, and that 1,400 new customer assistant and management jobs will be created.

Steve Rowe, chief executive of Marks & Spencer, said: “M&S stores will always be an integral part of our customer offer, working seamlessly alongside our website, M&S.com, to deliver great products and service to our customers.

“However, our customers’ shopping habits are changing. Picking up food for now or tonight rather than doing one big shop or browsing and shopping online and collecting in store are great examples of this and we are committed to adapting our business so that we stay in tune with our customers.

“This means there will be more M&S colleagues working in an increased number of convenient locations, serving more customers.

“Each proposal we make will be very carefully considered with our colleagues and customers firmly front of mind. It is our intention that nobody leaves M&S and we will work as hard as possible to ensure that we can deliver against this promise.”

M&S announced its five-year UK store estate programme in November after a full review of its UK store portfolio.

M&S currently has 959 UK stores.