Marks & Spencer to open 'family focused store' in Rochdale

Marks & Spencer has announced plans for a new “family-focused” Clothing & Home and Food store in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The new store, which comes as part of the British retailer’s estate reshape, is part of the Rochdale Riverside development, a joint venture between Genr8 and Kajima in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council, which will bring approximately 200,000 square feet of retail and leisure space to the heart of Rochdale town centre.

The location benefits from a catchment shopper population of over 1 million people, with a further 12,000 family homes planned for development within the catchment in the coming years, making it “the ideal destination for busy families to shop and have fun”, Marks & Spencer said. Investment from Rochdale Council will also go towards helping local families through the development of a new transport interchange and a major new library.

Up to 100 new and existing Marks & Spencer colleagues will work at the new store with recruitment beginning via the retailer’s careers website in Spring 2020.

The Rochdale store will feature a Click & Collect point to support online orders and will offer contemporary, easy-to-wear clothing with a big focus on Marks & Spencer’s key categories such as denim, knitwear, footwear and t-shirts.

Sacha Berendji, retail, operations and property director at Marks & Spencer, said in a statement: “Marks & Spencer is changing and this has meant rigorously considering where we open stores as we reshape our estate. We’re focusing on locations that can best serve busy family shoppers - convenient locations with a great retail & leisure mix are key.

“Our store will be designed to offer everything families need for an easy shopping experience. In the heart of the Northern powerhouse we think this store will be a great addition to those we already have in the North West.”

The announcement comes as part of a wider store transformation plan by the British retailer. It recently announced plans to open at Kinglsey Village - its first clothing store opening in the South West for ten years - and to open at Nottingham Giltbrook next summer.

Photo credit: Marks & Spencer, Facebook