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M&S to Shut Swansea Flagship as It Pushes Food-Led Expansion

The company says the closure reflects a store rotation strategy prioritising larger, food-led sites.

Overview

  • Marks & Spencer will close its Oxford Street store in Swansea later in 2026, with about 92 employees informed and now in consultation over alternative roles.
  • The retailer cites long-term underperformance and significant building investment needs at the site and says it is seeking a new full-line location elsewhere in the city.
  • Fourteen in-store cafés have closed or are set to close as space is repurposed to expand M&S Food ranges, with the company indicating affected staff will remain employed.
  • M&S has published a wishlist of roughly 500 potential UK locations and is accelerating plans to open or modernise more than 20 stores this financial year.
  • Recent and upcoming openings include Northwich, Abingdon and Stonehaven, with Farnham, Northampton and a largest-to-date standalone food store in Godalming due in 2026, as part of a longer-term aim for about 180 mixed-format and 420 food-only outlets.