Marks & Spencer has announced the closure of 11 cafes located in its smaller food shops as part of an ongoing restructuring of its store network. The company emphasized that this move is aimed at making space for more popular products and assured that no jobs will be lost, as affected employees will be reassigned within the stores. These closures will impact less than 4% of the total 316 food shops operated by the retailer.
A spokesperson for M&S stated that the decision to close the cafes is in line with the company’s strategy to modernize its food business and expand the availability of M&S Food products to a wider customer base. As part of this transformation, new coffee shops offering a variety of food options and high-quality fairtrade coffee, like the ones at the new Bristol Cabot Circus store, will be introduced.
In addition to the cafe closures, Marks & Spencer is implementing a broader £300 million investment and store reconfiguration program to enhance its food offerings. The initiative includes converting several full-line stores into food-focused outlets and upgrading existing food-only stores to better serve customers.
The retailer has outlined its plans to grow its food store portfolio to approximately 420 locations by the end of 2028. This expansion strategy comes as Marks & Spencer continues its financial recovery following a significant cyberattack in April that resulted in the suspension of online orders for six weeks, leading to an estimated cost of £300 million.
Earlier this year, Marks & Spencer faced a crisis when hackers stole personal data from potentially millions of customers, prompting the company to deal with ransom demands. The cyberattack also affected other retailers like Co-op and caused supply disruptions. Security experts noted a surge in ransomware attacks targeting UK retailers, with the public sector, including higher education, the NHS, local government, and the Ministry of Defence, being among the most targeted sectors.
The company’s efforts to enhance its store network and food offerings reflect its commitment to meeting evolving customer demands and overcoming challenges posed by cybersecurity threats in the retail industry.
