Marks and Spencer (M&S) has announced an ambitious £90 million investment plan to open a series of new foodhalls across London, alongside the renewal of several existing stores. The initiative marks a significant expansion of the retailer’s presence in the capital, designed to enhance its fresh food offerings and store experiences for customers.

The company plans to launch six new foodhalls in the following locations: Clapham, Covent Garden, Fulham Broadway, Putney, New Malden, and Leytonstone. In addition to the new openings, M&S will refresh eleven other stores throughout London, including a comprehensive makeover of the prominent Pantheon branch on Oxford Street.

Furthermore, seven existing foodhalls across the city—situated in Brooklands, Islington, Brent Cross, Whetstone, Wimbledon, Chiswick, and Clapham South—are also part of the development strategy. Together, these developments will expand M&S’s London foodhall space by more than 70,000 square feet.

The enhancements planned for these foodhalls include a redesigned produce section offering a broader variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The ambient and frozen food areas will both double in size, complemented by enlarged bakery sections, aiming to deliver a more diverse and plentiful shopping experience to customers.

This new wave of store openings and refurbishments is expected to generate approximately 450 new local jobs, emphasising M&S’s commitment to supporting employment in the capital. The investment aligns with the retailer’s ongoing store renewal and rotation programme and follows a recently announced additional £50 million pledge to expand stores in the Northwest of England.

Sacha Berendji, M&S Operations Director, told the Grocery Gazette: “London has always been a special place for M&S, growing from penny bazaars in the early 20th century into fresh Foodhalls like the one in Brixton we reopened last year. We serve thousands of customers in the capital across our full line offering in larger stores on Oxford Street, which are soon to be redeveloped, to food on the move in train stations and we are always looking at what we can do next. Our pipeline of stores demonstrates our continued investment in London, and we will continue to bring the very best of M&S to customers from Brixton to Barnet for years to come.”

The announced investment reflects M&S’s broader strategic focus on revitalising its food retail sector, aiming to strengthen its position within London’s competitive grocery market through enhanced store formats and a renewed commitment to quality and variety.