High street stalwart Marks & Spencer has confirmed a significant shake-up of its popular in-store café chain, with multiple locations set to close their doors permanently.
The retail giant is implementing a strategic review of its café operations, resulting in the immediate closure of several cafés across England and Wales. Some locations served their final customers as recently as this past weekend.
Which M&S Cafés Are Affected?
The closure programme impacts several key locations including:
- M&S Chesterfield - Café closed permanently on Saturday, June 29th
- M&S New Mersey Shopping Park, Liverpool - Ceased operations
- M&S Bolton - Café now shut to customers
- M&S Manchester - City centre location affected
- M&S Middlesbrough - Another casualty of the restructuring
What's Behind the Closures?
An M&S spokesperson explained the decision stems from their ongoing store renewal programme: "We're reshaping our store estate to better serve our customers, which includes investing in new locations and, where necessary, making difficult decisions about underperforming spaces."
The company emphasised that these café closures are part of a broader transformation strategy that has seen M&S open over 100 new stores in the past two years while simultaneously reviewing their existing portfolio.
What About M&S Employees?
For staff affected by the closures, M&S has confirmed they will be offered redeployment opportunities within nearby stores wherever possible. No redundancies have been announced as the company focuses on relocating affected team members to other positions within the organisation.
The retailer maintains that these changes are essential for building a "fit for the future" store estate that meets evolving customer shopping habits and ensures long-term business sustainability.
Customers are advised to check with their local M&S store for café opening times as the restructuring programme continues to roll out across the country.
