Marks & Spencer to close its flagship department store in Wolverhampton

Staff at the Wolverhampton Dudley Street store were reportedly told the news in a meeting.

The store has been performing "less well for a long period of time" and has never really recovered from the Covid pandemic - bosses at Marks and Spencer told the Express & Star.

A consultation is due to get underway with staff affected at the store, which has been serving customers in Wolverhampton since 1929.

Calum Telford, regional manager at M&S, said: "Our UK-wide store rotation programme is all about reshaping for growth and making sure every M&S store delivers the best possible shopping experience for our customers.

"That’s why we have made the tough decision to propose the closure of our Dudley Street store. 

"Sadly, the store has been performing less well for a long period of time and has never fully recovered from the Covid pandemic.

"We remain committed to Wolverhampton and are working closely with the city council to find a suitable alternative food location. This is part of our continued investment in the Black Country, with work already underway to modernise our Merry Hill store.

"I appreciate this will be disappointing news for customers who have shopped with us at the store over the years and I would like to thank them for their support. 

"Our priority is continuing conversations with colleagues about what this announcement means for them and if the proposals go ahead, we will offer them alternative roles at M&S wherever possible."

M&S announced in 2022 it intended to reduce its number of traditional department stores offering its complete range of clothing, food and home products from 247 to 180, while also opening 100 new food halls by April 2026.

Last month company chairman Archie Norman said the firm was looking to exit "struggling town centres" as part of a £500 million plan to update its retail store portfolio across the country and earlier this year Wolverhampton Council said it was seeking talks with M&S over the future of its 36,000 square foot store in Dudley Street, with the lease on the building due to expire in 2027.

Councillor Chris Burden, Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for city development, jobs and skills, said: "We’re obviously disappointed by the news but fully understand M&S’s difficult decision was driven by wider, changing market conditions and customer behaviour. 

“We’re grateful to M&S officials for the opportunity to meet with them yesterday (Tuesday) and their commitment to work with us to support staff affected. We were also extremely heartened to hear about their continued commitment to our city and we have stressed we will work with them at pace to identify suitable locations that fit their new business model. 

“In the meantime, we know how unsettling this will be for staff and the city council’s Wolves at Work employment support team is poised to join forces with DWP and a range of city partners to support workers and their families. 

“We’re also keen to see the privately-owned Dudley Street site brought back into use quickly – if the proposed closure goes ahead. It’s a prime 90,000 sq ft location in the city centre and we have already reached out to the building’s agent to seek a meeting with the new owner. 

“It’s clear that city and town centres across the country are changing and in Wolverhampton we are undergoing major transformation, driven by the council’s vision to reinvent the city centre and ensure it thrives. 

“Our vision is attracting significant investment from the public and private sector – vital for a vibrant future. This includes thousands of new city centre homes at Smithgate and Canalside; better connectivity and safer public spaces; a world-class entertainment venue at the University of Wolverhampton at The Halls; a new independent cinema at the Chubb Building; a growing commercial district at the Interchange and a new £61million City Learning Quarter which opens this October and will bring thousands of new visitors to our city centre every week."