Marks and Spencer has announced the closure of a popular store in Leeds, dealing a fresh blow to the British high street. The upscale food retailer confirmed that the branch will cease operations this weekend, on Saturday, March 22, with signs informing customers of the upcoming closure.
The Wellington Street site is located just minutes from Leeds train station and is well-liked by local residents and passers-by. It marks a particularly sad loss for the area and the retailer, given Marks and Spencer was founded in Leeds in 1884. Now an iconic, upmarket chain, the supermarket giant was established by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer, with Marks opening his first stall at Kirkgate Market, which is still around today.
An M&S spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “As part of our ongoing strategy to modernise our UK store estate and ensure we are in the right locations for our customers, we have made the decision to close our M&S Foodhall at Central Square in Leeds. This decision will take effect on 22 March 2025 and will follow a thorough review of our store portfolio and a consideration of various factors.
“We are working closely with all affected colleagues to explore alternative opportunities within M&S. We will seek to retain as many colleagues as possible during this transition.
“Customers can continue to shop with us at our nearby M&S stores in Leeds, where they will find the same great quality and trusted value they expect from M&S.”
However, locals are unimpressed by the decision and have shared their dismay over the closure on social media.
An Instagram post by The Hoot sparked one comment: “This is an odd move to make. I use that store a lot. We have a massive residential population now in the West End, including myself, and we’ll be left with just two supermarkets to serve the whole district: Tesco and Sainsbury’s.”
Another chimed: “I love this store! I use it all the time. Also get my clothes collections from there – I hate going to the big one in town and the station one is not great. I will really miss it @marksandspencerfood please rethink!”
While shoppers will find an alternative M&S outlet located at Ludgate Hill, which is approximately 10 minutes on foot from the closing site, many will miss the store.
However, it is not a new move for the retailer, as they shut down multiple stores across the UK last year.
Prior closures included the company’s long-standing Crawley branch last November, where executives cited “changing shopping patterns” as the reason.
Its Murraygate Dundee store also closed last July, where employees were reassigned to a new superstore in Gallagher Retail Park within Dundee.
Additionally, the Belfry Shopping Centre in Redhill lost its M&S only a month thereafter.
Several other branches in Manchester, Swindon, and Birmingham also terminated operations between August and November of the previous year.
These store shutdowns follow M&S’s announcement at the end of 2016, outlining intentions to axe 100 underperforming outlets by 2026 as part of an extensive decade-long restructure.
The initial phase began in April 2017 with the confirmation that six stores would close.
In May 2018, the British retailer ramped up its transformation efforts by planning to shut down over 100 clothing outlets by 2022. This strategy was later adjusted with the announcement that 120 clothing stores would close their doors by April 2024.
By October 2022, the company confirmed an extensive store revamp aiming to slash approximately £309million in rental expenditures.
Marks & Spencer has been vocal about its strategic shift away from high-street locations that suffer from dwindling foot traffic, preferring to invest in retail parks that remain popular with consumers.
The retailer is on a mission to launch 104 new “bigger and fresher” food stores. Since the beginning of 2023, it has opened 22 new sites in major cities, including Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, and Manchester.
Moreover, the chain has set an ambitious goal of introducing over 100 larger Foodhall venues by 2028.
