MARKS & Spencer has revealed a number of locations in West Yorkshire – including in the Bradford district – where it wants to open new food stores.
Bingley and Ilkley are among the areas earmarked as potential locations for new M&S shops as the company aims to double the size of its food business.
The retail giant has this week released a list of 500 UK areas where it hopes to open standalone food stores.
The firm is looking for sites which could provide a trading space of between 6,000 and 18,000 sq ft – to allow for wider aisles, larger car parks and an extended range of food.
Alex Freudmann, managing director for M&S’s food division, 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.
“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.”
Where are the new M&S potential locations in West Yorkshire?
- Bingley
- Birstall
- Brighouse
- Holmfirth
- Ilkley
- Pontefract
- The Springs, Leeds
- Wakefield Road, Huddersfield
- West Huddersfield
- Wetherby
Bradford city centre is not mentioned on the list – which has been released weeks after the Telegraph & Argus revealed M&S still has the lease for the unit it used to occupy at The Broadway.
The retail giant shut its prominent store at the shopping centre in May last year – leaving many Bradfordians shocked and saddened.
Speaking to the T&A earlier this month, Ian Ward, general manager at The Broadway, said: “The M&S unit is still in lease with M&S.
“I’m sure they’ll be looking at how to move forward – conversations will be going on in the background. It’s in all our interests that at some stage, we activate that unit because it gives us another opportunity to bring more people to Bradford.
“But as we sit here at the moment, that unit is leased to M&S.”
The T&A asked M&S for a comment for this story – but no response was provided.
The Broadway opened on November 5, 2015, and the M&S store was there from the off.
It was one of the anchor tenants for the £260 million centre.
