SHOPPERS have been left heartbroken after a major UK supermarket announced that one of its stores will be closing its doors for good this weekend.
In a blow to the high street, M&S, which boasts 1492 stores globally revealed that a popular store in Leeds will cease operations from Saturday, March 22.
The Wellington Street Foodhall store is located just minutes from Leeds train station and is well loved by locals in the community.
This closure is particularly sad given that Marks and Spencer was founded in the city of Leeds by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer back in 1884.
Signs outside the branch advertise the supermarket’s closure, with shoppers now having the trek to the M&S on Ludgate Hill (a 10 minute walk away) to get their hands on the retailer’s upmarket cuisine.
Locals have shared their disappointment at the closure, with an Instagram post from The Hoot causing one user to cry: “This is an odd move to make. I use that store a lot.
“We have a massive residential population now in the West End, including myself, and we’ll be left with just two supermarkets to serve the whole district: Tesco and Sainsbury’s.”
Another shared: “I love this store! I use it all the time.
“Also get my clothes collections from there – I hate going to the big one in town and the station one is not great.
“I will really miss it @marksandspencerfood please rethink!”
The Leeds store closures follows a number of popular M&S stores closing their doors permanently.
The retailer closed its longstanding Crawley branch in November, with bosses blaming the closure on “changing shopping patterns”.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Iconic department store follows Macy’s and reveals it’s ‘forced’ to close down in weeks after ‘more than a century'” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6369060183112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]It also shuttered its Murrygate Dundee branch last July, with staff moved to a new superstore at Gallagher Retail Park in the city.
A further store shut at the Belfry Shopping Centre in Redhill a month later.
The retailer also shut down locations in Manchester, Swindon and Birmingham between August and November last year.
An M&S spokesperson told The Sun: “As part of our ongoing strategy to modernise our UK store estate and ensure we are in the right locations for our customers, we have made the decision to close our smaller M&S Foodhall at Central Square in Leeds.
“This decision, which will take effect from 22 March 2025 and follows a thorough review of our store portfolio and a consideration of various factors.
“We are working closely with all affected colleagues to explore alternative opportunities within M&S.
“We will seek to retain as many colleagues as possible during this transition.
“Customers can continue to shop with us at our nearby M&S stores in Leeds, where they will find the same great quality and trusted value they expect from M&S.”
Why is M&S closing stores?
M&S first announced plans to shut down a number of stores in 2016, explaining that it aimed to shut 100 low performing stores as part of a 10-year restructuring plan.
Store closures began in April 2017 when it was announced the first six stores would shut.
In May 2018, the retailer then announced it was accelerating its plans with over 100 clothes stores due to close by 2022.
It later revised these plans and said it would close 120 clothing stores by April 2024.
In October 2022, amid rising inflation and a £100million hit from soaring energy costs, it confirmed it would carry out a further store overhaul to save around £309million in rent costs.