Shoppers have been left “gutted” after retail giant Marks & Spencer confirmed it will close one of its Simply Food stores. Locals from Cwmbran, south Wales, will see another M&S leave their town after the larger superstore closed in May 2019.
The closure means customers will lose access to the brand’s dedicated food outlet, which is known for its fresh produce, ready meals and gourmet snacks. Posters within the store informed customers: “We’re closing on September 27. Your nearest store is Malpas Newport.”
Fans of the store took to their community Facebook group, What’s on Cwmbran, to react to the closure. One disappointed person commented: “Gutted, not a huge amount of stock but I’m always buying something in there. Please, Marks and Spencer can we have a Simply Food store in Cwmbran.” Another said: “Definitely need an M&S foodstore in Cwmbran.”
A third remarked: “Why can’t we have a proper M&S food hall or just bring M&S back? It will make the town.”
M&S operates an ongoing restructuring plan. The retailer had originally pledged to close 100 underperforming sites by 2022 and is continuing that strategy, targeting outdated locations and reducing the number of full-line stores by 2028.
As a result, the long-standing Wolverhampton flagship on Dudley Street, which has traded since 1929, will close on Saturday, September 27. Staff have been informed that an alternative site is being considered, although no details have yet been confirmed.
However, shoppers on the Cwmbran Facebook page went on to speculate that their local closure may be due to the store’s location in WH Smith. A member shared: “It was a tiny corner in WH Smiths. Bring back a proper M&S, please.”
To which, another person shared: “It might have something to do with Smith’s closing some stores. Maybe a franchise agreement is due to end. Be good if they did come back with some of their basics in clothes ie underwear as well as food.”
WH Smith has completed a £76 million deal, first announced in March, to sell its high street division to Modella Capital, which is the investment group behind brands such as Hobbycraft and Paperchase. The sale will see around 480 stores and 5,000 staff transfer to the new owner.
A representative from M&S spoke to the South Wales Argus on the recent closure and stated: “We regularly review our offer in franchise stores to ensure we are delivering the best of M&S Food for our customers.
“Our small range in the former WHSmith store in Cwmbran will no longer be available from this Autumn; however, customers will still be able to find their M&S favourites, alongside a much bigger product range, at M&S Newport.”