RETAILER Marks and Spencer has confirmed it will be closing its Barnsley town centre store – and opening a new foodhall – in an effort to 'reshape' its business.
The decades-old site on Queen Street will close once development on a new store at Peel Retail Park, Harborough Hill Road, has been finished.
A spokesperson for Marks and Spencer – which recently announced plans to close more than 30 town centre stores amid a shift to online shopping and increasing cost pressures – told the Chronicle all staff will be offered jobs at the new M&S Foodhall.
Matt Graham, regional manager for Marks and Spencer, said: “We’re excited to be opening a brand-new M&S Foodhall in the Peel Retail Park near Harborough Hill Road, which will offer local customers 60 per cent more Foodhall space than our current store.
"We expect that the new store will be ready to open in early 2023.
"Shopping habits are changing, so we’re reshaping our store estate to make sure we have the right stores to offer our customers an excellent shopping experience.
"This means in line with our Foodhall expansion, our existing store at 7 Queen Street will close once the development is complete.
"We appreciate this will be disappointing news for some, but we believe this is the right decision to ensure the best possible offer for customers in Barnsley.
"We will keep the community updated as the works progress."
