M&S: major UK supermarket opening 12 new food halls, including its largest store yet - full list of locations

• M&S is opening 12 new food halls across England, including its largest standalone food store to date
• The expansion will create over 550 jobs and is part of the retailer’s wider store renewal strategy
• Five locations are confirmed so far: Abingdon, Cannock, Farnham, Godalming, and Northampton
• All new stores will feature modern designs with expanded food ranges, wider aisles, and eco-friendly features
• Openings are planned from late 2025 to mid-2026, with more locations to be announced, pending planning approval

A major UK supermarket is accelerating its store renewal programme with plans to launch 12 new food halls across England — including its largest standalone food store to date.

The new Marks & Spencer stores, all located on former Homebase sites, will create over 550 jobs and play a key role in M&S’s wider store rotation strategy focused on developing “bigger, better” locations.

The expansion reflects M&S’s confidence in physical retail investment, as it works through the aftermath of a recent cyber attack that affected trading over the Easter weekend.

Where will the new M&S food halls be?

Confirmed openings include two 18,000 sq ft food halls in Abingdon and Cannock, both expected to open in late 2025.

They will be followed by three more large-format stores in Farnham, Godalming and Northampton by mid-2026. The Godalming site, at 22,000 sq ft, will become the retailer’s biggest standalone food hall.

All of the new openings will feature contemporary store designs, including market-style fruit and vegetable displays, expanded bakeries with coffee-to-go, Click & Collect points for online orders, larger frozen food areas, wider aisles, and energy-efficient systems in line with M&S’s Plan A sustainability goals.

Commenting on the announcement, M&S CEO Stuart Machin said: “Investing in new and renewed stores is a key priority in our transformation plan.

“Securing these prime locations allows us to accelerate our strategy, grow our food business, and most importantly, deliver the very best shopping experience for our customers.”

As of now, five locations have been officially confirmed:

• Abingdon – An 18,000 sq ft food hall, expected to open in late 2025.
• Cannock – Another 18,000 sq ft store, also slated for late 2025.
• Farnham – An 18,000 sq ft store, projected to open by mid-2026.
• Godalming – A 22,000 sq ft location, set to become M&S's largest standalone food hall, anticipated by mid-2026.
• Northampton – A 16,000 sq ft store, expected by mid-2026.

The remaining seven locations have not yet been confirmed. M&S has said that eight of the new stores are expected to open by July 2026, pending planning approvals.

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