Marks & Spencer has opened the doors to its newly-relocated store inside Lakeside shopping centre, Essex.
The 97,000sq ft outlet features spacious clothing, home and beauty departments, alongside a fresh market-style Foodhall and a 140-seat M&S Café.
The retailer said its relocation in the shopping mall will help increase it’s visibility and includes a new, enlarged portal entrance from the car park, granting direct and improved access to the Foodhall and wider store.
Along with the existing M&S Lakeside team of 290 colleagues from the previous store, the business is welcoming over 90 new recruits.
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The store’s revamped clothing department showcases M&S’ womenswear, kidswear and menswear collections – with dedicated, neon-lit areas to spotlight popular brands such as Per Una, Autograph, Goodmove and Jaegar.
Inside the Foodhall, customers will notice a new fresh-market feel and displays carrying produce from M&S Select Farms.
There is also a bakery offering fresh daily-baked bread and pastries, as well as a dedicated M&S Wine Shop.
M&S Lakeside store manager Dior Hudson said: “The last few weeks have been so exciting for us all as we’ve seen the store take shape, and I’d like to thank everyone in the team for all their hard work to make sure everything is ready for our loyal customers today.
“The store is an exciting investment in the future of M&S in Essex, and I can’t wait for our customers to explore all the new features that the store has to offer.
“With an amazing fresh market feel Foodhall, stylish new Clothing, Home and Beauty departments – which is the perfect place to shop your M&S favourites – and a new 140-seat M&S Café, we really do have the best of M&S here for everyone to enjoy.”
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