Sudbury, Newmarket and Lowestoft listed as potential sites for M&S food halls

Three Suffolk towns have been listed as potential sites for new M&S food hall stores.

Sudbury, Newmarket and Lowestoft have been listed among towns where the retailer is interested to hear about suitable properties.

M&S has said it is looking for two acre sites or bigger, for stores 21,500sqft in size, on the edge of centre or out of town, prominent and highly visible, on major roads with easy access, dedicated parking of around 150 cars, freehold or leasehold.

Existing retail units will be considered.

The property requirement guide, listed on the company’s corporate website, says that it will also pay 1.5 per cent of purchase price or 10 per cent of annual rent finder’s fee for any properties that are previously unknown to the company.

The company says: “Our store rotation programme is about making sure we have the right stores, in the right place, with the right space.

“We currently have 247 full line stores across the UK, which will move to 180 higher quality, higher productivity full line stores over the next three years - achieved by rotating the estate in 110 locations.

“This is mixture of closures, relocation to food, and relocation to another full line store. We will also increase our Food offering from 316 to 420 stores.

“The performance of our recently relocated and renewed stores, give us the confidence to go faster in our plan.

“Our investment in stores not only delivers a better experience for customers and colleagues, it boosts local communities with new job creation and will help us deliver a more sustainable estate in every sense.

Last month it was revealed that Marks and Spencer would build a new store on the site of the former Toys R Us at Copdock.

The new store is expected to open in the summer of 2027 and will be a new-build.

Meanwhile, a rival supermarket chain is pushing for the rejection of plans for an M&S Foodhall in Stowmarket.

Plans for the store were submitted to Mid Suffolk District Council in November, which would see the outlet occupy land off Gun Cotton Way and Tomo Road, along with two additional retail units.

However, a letter from Martin Robeson Planning Practice, on behalf of Tesco Stores Limited, recommends the planning application is refused due to ‘significant deficiencies’ which it claims undermine the effectiveness of the retail assessment.