Marks & Spencer to open 150 Simply Food stores over next three years
Marks & Spencer is to step up the expansion of its Simply Food stores in the UK and will also open food stores in Paris through the signing of a new franchise partnership with Relay France.
The retailer will more than double the number of Simply Food stores it currently opens in the UK each year by launching an additional 150 stores over the next three years. The new stores are expected to create over 5,000 retail jobs.
Around half of the new stores will be circa 2,000 sq ft and operated with one of M&S’s existing key franchise partners in convenience locations such as motorway service areas, train stations, hospitals, petrol station forecourts and airports. M&S has Simply Food partnerships with BP, SSP and Moto operating 249 stores across the UK.
The other new stores will be M&S-owned, high street and retail park stores trading across 10,000 to 15,000 sq ft.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Meanwhile, M&S’s new French partnership will see the retailer and Relay France open around ten food stores in and around Paris by 2018, with the first store opening in summer 2014. The stores will offer M&S’s fresh food catalogue and will be located at key railway stations, metro stations and airports.
The retailer said there was the potential for further expansion into additional travel locations in the future. This autumn, M&S and BP opened four food store pilots in the Netherlands.
Marc Bolland, M&S chief executive, said: “Our food business has gone from strength to strength under our plans to transform M&S. We’ve delivered 15 quarters of like-for-like growth in the UK and have opened Food stores in cities like Amsterdam and Paris. We’re delighted to be partnering with Relay France to drive our international ambition even further.”
Steve Rowe, executive director of food, added: “Today, we are confirming plans to extend our unique food offer to even more UK customers by opening c.150 new Simply Food stores in areas where we are currently significantly under represented. This franchise and owned expansion offers us an opportunity to continue to grow our customer base and business, building on the progress we have already made.”
