'The best customer experience' - M&S reveals plans for new food store and bakery at former Cannock Homebase branch

The company announced its intention to move into the former Homebase store on Orbital Retail Park in Cannock as part of its investment in twelve brand new food stores on former Homebase sites across England, which it says will create over 550 new jobs.

The company already occupies a smaller unit on the same retail park, with the new store expected to be open by the end of the year.

The former Homebase store in Cannock was put up for sale after the DIY chain collapsed into administration in December last year.

Marks & Spencer says its "store rotation and renewal" programme aims to create 420 bigger, fresher M&S Food stores and a "more productive" group of 180 full department stores, with half of the estate expected to have been updated by 2027/28.

The new store format is set to ferature a "Coffee Bakery", where customers can pick up a coffee while they shop, as well as larger car parks and expanded frozen food sections.

Last year M&S opened six M&S Food stores and two full line stores as well as renewing nine existing stores, while this year the firm plans to open ten M&S Food stores and two full line stores. A number of other stores will be updated to the renewal format, it says.

M&S CEO Stuart Machin said: “Investing in new and renewed stores is one of our key transformation priorities. Securing these highly desirable sites in priority locations will accelerate this strategy, drive further growth in our M&S food business and most importantly give our customers the best possible M&S shopping experience.”