Work almost complete on new M&S store in Rochdale town centre

Retail giant Marks & Spencer is just a few months away from opening a new store in Rochdale.

Fitting out work has started at the new store at the Rochdale Riverside development.

The Riverside is a joint venture between Genr8 and Kajima, in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council.

The development will bring approximately 200,000 sq ft of retail and leisure accommodation to the heart of Rochdale town centre.

The retailer chose Riverside as a location which benefits from a catchment shopper population of over a million people, with a further 12,000 family homes identified for development within this catchment in the coming years.

Investment from Rochdale Borough Council has transformed the area with improvements such as a new transport interchange and a major new library and future investment plans include the development of town centre living.

Other facilities include Hollywood Bowl’s Puttstars indoor golf facility and a Reel Cinema.

There will also be a mix of retail and over 500 car parking spaces, alongside public transport links.

Up to 100 new and existing staff will work at the new store with recruitment beginning in Spring of next year.

Simon Layton, head of region for Lancashire and Cumbria said: “Plans for our new store are moving ahead with pace and we can’t wait to share more details in the coming months.

“Every part of the store is being designed to offer a fantastic family shopping experience and best serve our customers’ needs. Rochdale Riverside is central to the town’s regeneration and, with its convenient location adjacent to the new Metrolink station and Transport Interchange, the store will be perfect for families enjoying the area’s leisure offering, as well as quick pit-stops.”

Steve Rumbelow, chief executive of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “This new M&S store is a key anchor of the Rochdale Riverside scheme.

“It’s something the council wants and, more importantly, the people of Rochdale want, so it’s fantastic to see it entering the final stages of development, alongside Reel Cinemas, which has also started its internal fit out.

“Rochdale Riverside is on track to open its doors to the public in spring next year and we’re looking forward to celebrating the completion of another part of the £400m regeneration programme, which is transforming Rochdale town centre.”

Mike Smith, Partner at Genr8 Developments said: “We’re making real progress and are well into the final stages of development at Riverside. This landmark project for the region is shaping up to have a brilliantly diverse tenant mix, and the addition of M&S will grant the local community access to yet another high-quality, internationally recognised operator.

“M&S’ commitment to Rochdale Riverside is testament to the calibre of the scheme – we’re so excited to hand over to the team, and we look forward to watching the unit fit-out progress in the coming months.”