Marks and Spencer (M&S) has announced it will invest £50 million in stores across the North West of England, which will create around 300 new jobs.

The investment, which is spread across the next three financial years, will see five new stores opening in areas including Cheshire and Greater Manchester while three other stores will be redesigned and expanded, leading to an additional 100,000 square foot of real estate.

The retailer said that will use new technology in its renewed stores such as LED lighting and energy efficient fridges, with its Liverpool One store using 44 per cent less energy and 44 per cent less carbon than the previous format.

All new stores are subject to planning permission.

M&S said it is aiming to have 180 higher quality, higher productivity full line stores that sell the full clothing, home and food ranges whilst also opening over 100 bigger food sites by the end of 2028.

Additionally, M&S said it plans to open a brand-new outlet store in Warrington, along with a Click and Collect service. The new outlet is expected to open towards the end of summer this year.

The retailer currently owns 62 stores across North West England as well as an additional 25 M&S stores in hospitals and travel settings including rail and fuel stations.

Will Smith, property director at M&S, said that the retailer already has many local supplier partnerships in the region, such as Park Cakes in Oldham who make Colin the Caterpillar cakes, with the new stores helping to showcase their products.

“Our pipeline of stores for 2025 demonstrates our continued investment in market-leading stores as we deliver our transformation priorities,” he added. “We have the opportunity in the North West of England to continue investing in market-leading stores, as part of our renewal and rotation strategy, offering great quality products with that touch of M&S magic and the trusted value our customers expect and deserve.”

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