M&S searches for 500 new grocery sites in major food expansion - see which areas are considered

The chain is assessing around 500 potential locations, with the move forming part of a long-term strategy to grow its estate to 180 mixed stores and 420 food-only outlets.

M&S currently operates about 330 stores nationwide.

The firm wants stores capable of stocking its full food range, with eight new food-only shops set to open before the end of the year.

The push comes after the group reported a 99 per cent fall in pre-tax profits to £3.4 million in the six months to 27 September, down from £391.9 million a year earlier, following a cyberattack.

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As part of its broader expansion, the retailer is also pursuing smaller convenience-style sites across London, with requirements starting at 6,000 sq ft.

Outside the capital, towns including Scarborough, Lancaster, St Andrews and Falmouth are being considered. The chain continues to offer a “finder’s fee” for agents who identify suitable new locations.

Alex Freudmann, managing director of 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 20 stores opening or modernised before the end of the financial year, we are moving faster.”

Chief executive Stuart Machin said at the time that the food division had “largely recovered and is showing strong sales performance”, adding: “We are regaining momentum. In food we continue to outperform the market, with three years of consecutive monthly volume growth.”

Machin has repeatedly outlined his ambition for M&S to become a “full shopping-list retailer” with broader value ranges.

Earlier this month, he told analysts that M&S holds around 4 per cent of the grocery market.

“It’s still piddly, is the term I use — it’s still small — which really just encourages us, because we’ve got more than 50 food stores in the pipeline already approved,” he said.

All planned stores will follow a refreshed format with wider aisles for larger trolleys, bigger car parks and updated layouts.

More than half of the total estate is due to be refurbished by April 2028.

The retailer is particularly focused on London, where it is seeking 200 sites. In zones two and three, the firm wants spaces of between 10,000 and 18,000 sq ft in prominent positions with nearby parking and strong public transport links.

Beyond those areas and across the rest of the UK, it is targeting larger plots with a minimum of 18,000 sq ft, more than 100 parking spaces, and access to major road networks.

In May, The Sunday Times reported that M&S would open 12 new food stores on former Homebase sites across England.

The retailer is also experimenting elsewhere in its business.

Last December, it opened its first fashion-only store at Battersea Power Station in a trial designed to test its appeal against pure fashion rivals.

Machin later described the response as “OK”, saying clothing-only stores would not be “central” to his strategy.