Marks and Spencer to close yet another store in weeks with more to come

M&S shoppers in Wrexham will lose their local branch this autumn (Image: Getty) Marks and Spencer  announced earlier this year that they would be closing a staggering 67 stores across the nation. While 10 of them are part of relocation plans to new sites, its portfolio of 1,064 branches will be significantly reduced as a result. It comes as part of a retail strategy to save £300million by losing its “lower productivity” stores. A string of closures has already taken place throughout 2023, though the retailer revealed that one more will go in the coming weeks. Customers in Wrexham, Wales, will wave goodbye to their local branch this autumn after 15 years of trading. The new food hall site will open shortly after the Eagles Meadow site closes (Image: Getty) The Eagles Meadow site will be removed from the high street as part of a relocation plan for the area. M&S have been at the shopping centre since 2008 having previously had a store on Hope Street, as reported by North Wales Live. Now the company has announced this store will close in the autumn, though Percy Pig lovers will be pleased to know that it is going to be replaced by a new M&S Foodhall in the Plas Coch Retail Park. M&S has more than 1,000 stores across the UK (Image: Getty) No job losses will occur as a result, according to the retailer, who claimed that many staff will be able to transfer over to the new site, while others may be able to find roles in nearby Marks and Spencer stores. Speaking earlier in February, David Hughes, regional manager for M&S said: ‘This will offer our customers in Wrexham a brilliant food shopping experience with a fresh marketplace design, almost fifty per cent more space for food and a range of exciting new features including a cheese barge, digital wine-tasting and a bigger in-store bakery. “Shopping habits are changing, and we are reshaping our store estate across M&S to focus our investment on the right stores in the right places. Our investment in this new store means we will be closing our existing store in Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre in the city centre when the lease expires later this year.” No exact date has been given as of yet, though shoppers should be reassured that the Eagles Meadow site will remain open until the new store is unveiled. Other sites are also at risk of closing this autumn, though the exact locations are yet to be confirmed. However, it is known that the majority of these are “full line” stores, which stock its home and clothing range as well as food and drink. Among the stores relocating are those in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Thurrock.