// M&S snaps up its fourth former Debenhams store as it expand its presence in Manchester’s Trafford Centre

// The retailer has taken over the ex-department store’s units in Leeds, Liverpool One and Lakeside Shopping Centre

M&S has snapped up another former Debenhams store as it signs up for a new 135,000 sq ft store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre.

The retailer will take over the ex-department store, which has sat empty since it closed in May 2021, as it expands its presence in the shopping centre.

This is not the only former Debenhams unit that M&S has taken over.

Last month, the retailer revealed it was taking over the first two floors of the old Debenhams store in Liverpool One and will open in the department store’s Leeds White Rose store.

M&S also opened a new flagship store inside the former Debenhams unit at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex in May last year.

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The Trafford Centre relocation is part of a £48.5 million investment that M&S is spending to make its stores in the north of England “bigger and better”.

The retailer invested £20 million into its northern store estate last year and will spend a further £28.5 million in 2023.

The new stores are part of M&S’ strategy to create a store estate fit for the future.

In October, the retailer told investors that it plans to speed up its store overhaul, closing more than 25% of its stores that sell clothing and homewares in three years rather than five, while opening more than 100 new Simply Food branches.

M&S plans to close 67 “lower productivity full line stores”, and will move to having 180 “high quality larger stores”.

It said it has seen “strong performances” from its recently relocated stores, with payback on net capital investment within two years.

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