Marks & Spencer has confirmed the date for yet another closure of one of its ‘full-line’ legacy stores as part of its ongoing turnaround plan.
The retailer is slashing the number of these branches – where a selection of clothing, homeware and beauty ranges are on offer alongside food – and increasing the number of food-only stores.
Bosses are aiming to get the number of full-line stores to 180 over the next three years, down from 247 in 2022.
Meanwhile the number of ‘Simply Food’ stores will rise from 316 to 420.
The latest closure is a decades-old branch in Crawley, West Sussex.
Shoppers will say goodbye to the store – on the town’s Queensway high street – for good on Saturday, November 16.
Graham Bennett, M&S regional manager, said workers were notified ‘earlier this year’ and that efforts are being made to find them jobs elswewhere.
‘Individual conversations are continuing with our colleagues and wherever possible, we will be offering them alternative roles with M&S,’ he said.
‘Thank you to all our customers who have shopped at the store – we will continue to work hard serving you at our nearby Acorn Park M&S Food.’
Crawley Borough Council leader Michael Jones previously said the move was a ‘real blow for the town centre’, while locals vented their frustration at the decision online.
‘Very angry and upset about this,’ one customer commented on a Facebook post announcing the closure.
Another wrote: ‘This is not going to be good for our town. [It was] the only decent shop we had.’
An M&S food store remains open at Crawley’s Acorn Park retail area just under two miles away.
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