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

Several places in Greater Manchester could be in line for a new Marks & Spencer

The M&S food hall in Prestwich is included on the firm’s wish-list of locations for new and refurbished stores(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Marks and Spencer has unveiled a wish list of 500 potential sites for new and refurbished food stores – including several in Greater Manchester. The high street stalwart wants to double the size of its food business in a major expansion that could create thousands of new jobs.

M&S currently operates 330 stores across the UK, but the firm wants to increase that to 180 mixed stores and 420 dedicated food shops within the next few years. Potential new sites in Greater Manchester include Oldham, West Cheadle, Marple, Ashton-in-Makerfield, while existing M&S stores in Didsbury, Prestwich, Altrincham, Leigh and Hale could be in line for a facelift.

Slightly further afield Chorley, Glossop and Knutsford are also on the ‘wish-list’. The ambitious expansion includes 200 potential locations across London.

M&S is also set to launch or renovate 20 stores by April, creating 800 new jobs. The expansion proposals come as M&S continues its recovery from a devastating cyber attack, which cost it around £324 million.

Bosses are looking to acquire large sites which could stock its full food range. That could mean the average size of its food stores increasing to 18,000 sq ft. It hopes to target areas without an M&S branch. Every new store will include the new, larger layout, with wider aisles for bigger trolleys and larger car parks for more families.

M&S hopes its expansion will entice more customers away from supermarkets to do their weekly shop in the food hall. More than half of all M&S stores will be transformed to the new format in the next two years.

It follows the retailer’s acquisition of 12 Homebase stores last year, after the DIY chain fell into administration. Those stores will now be transformed into food halls. The first opened in Cannock in December. It is three times the size of the nearby food hall, which closed a day earlier.

M&S managing director Alex Freudmann said: “The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth. With more than twenty stores opening or modernised before the end of the financial year, we are moving faster.

“Our team want new sites where we could open a large M&S Food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers.”