Marks & Spencer is pressing ahead with a major expansion of its food retail footprint by transforming 12 former Homebase units into modern grocery stores.
The move is part of the retailer’s broader store rotation and renewal strategy, which is focused on opening 420 larger food outlets and developing a more efficient network of 180 full-line stores. The ambitious programme aims to have half of M&S’s store estate operating under the new format by 2027/28.
The first wave of openings will see new M&S Foodhalls launched in Abingdon, Cannock, Farnham, Godalming, and Northampton, with doors expected to open between late 2025 and summer 2026.
Each site will be designed to meet evolving customer expectations, offering larger car parks, expanded frozen food sections, wider aisles, and new in-store bakeries. Sustainability will also be a key focus, with the stores adopting LED lighting and energy-efficient refrigeration systems using natural refrigerants.
Chief executive Stuart Machin said the programme is central to the company’s wider transformation efforts: “Investing in new and renewed stores is one of our key transformation priorities. Securing these highly desirable sites in priority locations will accelerate this strategy, drive further growth in our M&S food business and most importantly give our customers the best possible M&S shopping experience.”
The sites became available after Homebase, once a staple of the UK’s DIY scene, entered administration last year. Since then, several major retailers including The Range, Ikea, Sainsbury’s, and Wickes have moved to acquire key former Homebase properties.
For M&S, the opportunity aligns with its ongoing effort to modernise its estate, reposition itself in the competitive food retail sector, and better serve growing demand in key regional hubs.
As more locations are confirmed, the retailer is expected to continue making strategic site acquisitions to ensure it delivers on its modern retail vision across the UK.
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