Work is underway to expand a Marks and Spencer store in a Swindon shopping park.
Marks and Spencer announced plans to invest millions of pounds into expanding the Orbital shopping park store in March of this year which will see the store grow by 40 per cent to a total of nearly 60,000 square feet and include a fresh market-style Foodhall and spruced up clothing, home and beauty departments.
The branch has remained open as normal while the redesign is being carried out and the completion date has been pencilled in for spring 2025.
M&S has been working with Orbital owners British Land to organise the extension which will span across into the empty Outfit unit, home to stores including Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge and the construction zone extends towards the Next store.
Meanwhile, several disabled bays adjacent to the construction area have been barricaded off for health and safety reasons, while temporary bays have been created in another section of the car park.
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Regional manager Neil Encoh told the Advertiser in March: "We’re really excited to announce our plans to invest in Swindon and create a transformed M&S store at Orbital Shopping Park."
Matthew Reed, head of retail parks at British Land, added: “M&S’s expansion at Orbital Shopping Park is testament to the continued demand from leading brands for space in retail parks, being the winning format due to their affordability and compatibility with omni channel retailing whilst also providing fantastic convenience for shoppers.”
The report giving the chain store the green light for the expansion and changes said: “The proposed changes to the unit would assimilate well with the nature of the surrounding shopping park and would not detract from the character and appearance of the wider area.
“The proposed external plant would be appropriately sited within a plant compound area to the rear of the unit. The area to the rear of the unit is used for staff parking and store deliveries with no access for members of the public. The equipment would be located in a discreet location within a plant compound area and would not be excessive in size or scale.”
Marks and Spencer was approached for comment.
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