Mapped: M&S boss reveals 'wish-list' of locations for new stores - is your town on there?

Marks and Spencer is on a mission to expand its food business, eyeing 500 new or revamped store sites, including several in Greater Manchester like Oldham, West Cheadle, Marple, and Ashton-in-Makerfield. The plan is to double their current 330 stores, aiming for 180 mixed stores and 420 dedicated food shops, potentially creating thousands of jobs. Existing stores in Didsbury, Prestwich, Altrincham, Leigh, and Hale might also get a makeover. They’re looking to acquire larger sites with an average size of 18,000 sq ft, featuring wider aisles and bigger car parks, to attract more weekly shoppers. M&S has plans to launch or renovate 20 stores by April, creating around 800 new jobs and helping recover from a costly cyber attack. The managing director expressed excitement about the strong performance of new stores and is keen to deliver the best shopping experience to customers across the UK. In total, over half of all M&S stores will be transformed into the new format in the next two years, with some previous Homebase locations being turned into food halls.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News