‘Stores going left right and centre’ grumble shoppers as M&S reveals exact date it will close ‘brilliant’ branch

MARKS and Spencer has confirmed the exact date it will close one of its branches leaving customers “so disappointed”.

The posh retailer announced in February it would be shuttering its store at The Broadway Shopping Centre in Bradford.

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At the time a spokesperson said the closure came as part of its plans to shake up its store portfolio.

Now, the supermarket and clothes chain has revealed the exact date it will shut the West Yorkshire branch, branded as “absolutely brilliant” by shoppers on Google Reviews.

Vickie Smith, M&S regional manager, said: “We would like to thank all customers who have shopped with us at our Bradford Broadway store.

“The store will close on May 18 and we are continuing discussions with colleagues about what this decision means for them.

“Wherever possible, we will offer them alternative roles with M&S.

“Shopping habits are changing and so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores in the right place and with the right space.”

Shoppers have been left gutted after finding out the M&S store is closing in a matter of weeks.

One said “stores are going left right and centre” while another added “so disappointed”.

A third dejected shopper said: “What’s closing next”.

A fourth added: “RIP high street shopping.”

It comes as M&S majorly shakes up its high street store presence, closing 110 branches but opening 100.

In October 2022, the posh retailer announced 67 “lower productivity” branches would shut over the following five years.

The 67 sites came as part of a wider radical restructuring plan first announced in 2016, which aimed to close 110 stores by 2022.

But it wasn’t just closures announced that year.

The chain also said it would open 104 new “bigger and fresher” food stores as well.

What else is happening on the high street?

The high street has been hit hard in recent years as shoppers increasingly turn their attentions to online retail.

High energy and wage costs and business rates have further piled pressure on businesses, forcing many to close.

A number of major brands have crashed into administration since the start of 2023, including Wilko and Paperchase.

In recent months, The Body Shop and Ted Baker have both fallen into administration too, seeing dozens of stores closed already.

Other retailers have been closing shops in a bid to reduce their physical presence across the UK.

Last June, Boots said it would be shutting 300 of its 2,200 stores in areas where it already operates one.

Superdry started closing eight of its 104 UK branches last July as part of a £35million cost-cutting project.

But, as is the case with M&S, it’s not all bad news as a number of chains are opening branches too.

B&M has opened 17 branches already this year, while Aldi has its eyes set on opening hundreds more branches in the coming years.

DIY chain Screwfix is also set to open dozens of branches as its owner Kingfisher looks to expand its nationwide presence.

Major supermarket chain Asda has also been opening dozens of branches across the UK.

WHSmith also recently announced plans to open more stores in rail stations, airports and hospitals.

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