M&S opens “renewal” flagship store at Merry Hill

British retailer Marks & Spencer has opened its latest “renewel” store concept at Merry Hill, one of the top 10 retail and leisure destinations in the UK, located in the West Midlands.

The 100,000 square foot flagship marks one of M&S’s major investments in its retail network this year, and has brought together two existing units into one flagship space to introduce a new enhanced shopping experience, with a brand-new coffee shop, fresh market-style foodhall, and an expanded fashion, home and beauty offering.

Calum Telford, regional manager at M&S, said in a statement: “M&S Merry Hill is one of more than 20 new or renewed stores we are opening across the UK in the remainder of this financial year, and it’s fantastic for customers to see the full transformation. Renewing our stores is all about delivering the very best of M&S and the best possible shopping experience for our customers.

“Our transformed store does just that and our focus is now on delivering the trusted value and exceptional quality we’re known for. As we celebrate 35 years at Merry Hill, it is brilliant to be starting this next era for the store.”

At the heart of the relaunched, upsized store is the new foodhall, which features wider aisles, an expanded product range, produce from M&S’ Select Farm partners and standout new features, such as an iconic cheese barge, in-store bakery, and dedicated flower and wine shops.

In addition, the retailer has reimagined its fashion, home and beauty to “deliver a seamless shopping experience for customers,” with home, menswear and kidswear coming together to form a full fashion destination on the upper mall, while womenswear has moved to the lower mall.

Rounding off the store concept is a new M&S Coffee Shop, located just outside the main store, where customers can find a range of breakfast and lunch choices, alongside cakes and pastries, barista-made coffee and iced drinks.

Graeme Jones, executive director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, on behalf of Merry Hill, added: “This opening builds on the centre’s transformation in recent years. It’s a move that wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago, but with Merry Hill thriving, the time is right to create a growth platform for M&S and use that evolution to unlock new opportunities.

“Importantly, it delivers even more for our customers, enhancing the visitor experience at M&S, and allowing us to introduce new brands that have wanted to be here for a while, and are now willing to commit to Merry Hill, having seen the significant changes that have taken place.”