Marks & Spencer has named 500 potential locations for new and renewed Food stores as it accelerates plans to double the size of its food business and reshape its estate.

The retailer is targeting a future footprint of 180 full line stores and 420 standalone Food stores, with a focus on larger sites able to stock its full range. M&S said it is growing the average trading space of Food stores to around 18,000 sq ft, and is also eyeing towns where it does not currently operate, including Hove, Marlborough and Wallingford.

In a statement, Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food, 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.”

M&S plans 20 openings or renewals between November and March, creating around 800 jobs. The business also highlighted its summer acquisition of 12 former Homebase sites, which will become some of its largest standalone Food stores. The first of these is scheduled to open before Christmas in Cannock.

The company’s renewal format emphasises extended ranges, wider aisles to accommodate bigger shopping trolleys and larger car parks aimed at family shoppers. M&S cited the Food store at Selby’s Three Lakes retail park, opened last year, as outperforming expectations and delivering above-average food market share growth locally.

More than half of the total estate, including convenience formats, is expected to be operating in the renewal format by April 2028. M&S said it is seeking highly visible and accessible sites with strong footfall and public transport links. Within the M25, the retailer is open to prominent sites capable of hosting M&S Foodhalls with trading space between 6,000 and 18,000 sq ft, and gross space up to 25,000 sq ft.

An updated property requirements brochure, including the full list of target areas, has been published by M&S for landlords and agents. Freudmann said the recent performance of newly opened Food stores over the past three years has “given us the confidence” to widen its search and pick up the pace on store renewal.

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