M&S targets Sleaford as potential location for new store
Sleaford and Louth are two of more than 500 locations across the country that have been earmarked by Marks and Spencer for a potential new store as part of ambitious expansion plans.
M&S has announced it is searching for new, bigger food store sites as it aims to double the size of its food business, with 500 areas across the UK being considered on a new ‘potential location list’.
M&S is now expanding the number of locations in its search for sites, including areas where there is not yet an M&S store. Its latest property requirements brochure gives a steer for would-be property agents, landlords and developers, targeting 61 centres of population in the Midlands and North East, including Sleaford, Louth, Scunthorpe and Grimsby.
Unlocking new sites will help accelerate its plan to modernise and rotate the M&S store estate to a footprint of 180 full line stores and 420 food stores.
M&S is particularly looking for large, highly visible and accessible sites that could stock the full range of M&S Food, growing the target size of its food stores to an average of 18,000sqft to stock a fuller range and attract more customers to do their weekly shop, bosses say.
All of these stores would be in the new renewal format with an extended range of M&S Food, wider aisles for bigger shopping trolleys and larger car parks for more family shoppers.
There would need to be dedicated parking for over 150 cars, existing retail units would be considered, freehold or leasehold, on major roads with easy access on the edge of town or out of town
Over the summer M&S announced its acquisition of 12 Homebase sites which are set to become some of the largest M&S standalone food stores in the UK – the first of which was to open before Christmas in Cannock.
Homebase went into administration in November 2025 after more than 40 years in business. CDS Superstores, who own The Range, acquired around 70 former Homebase stores, while others were taken on by companies including B&Q, Wickes and Marks & Spencer. Twenty new or renewed M&S stores are opening between November and March, creating 800 jobs.
Alex Freudmann Managing Director, M&S Food said: “The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth. With more than twenty stores opening or modernised before the end of the financial year, we are moving faster. Our team want new sites where we could open a large M&S Food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers.”