Marks & Spencer to close 11 cafés in smaller food shops

Marks & Spencer will close 11 cafés in its smaller food shops as part of a wider overhaul of its estate. The M&S cafe closures are designed to free space for in-demand grocery ranges while the retailer expands and modernises food halls.

The company said there will be no job losses, with staff redeployed within their stores. Fewer than 4% of M&S’s 316 food shops are affected. Larger sites are gaining new coffee shops as the estate is reshaped.

An M&S spokesperson said: “As we look to modernise our food business and offer the best of M&S Food to more people, more often, we’re investing in our store estate to give our customers the widest possible product range.”

The programme sits within a £300 million investment this financial year. M&S aims to reach around 420 food stores by the end of 2028, with conversions, extensions and renewals across the network.

The retailer is also rebuilding digital capacity after a cyberattack earlier this year that halted online orders for six weeks. It has estimated the incident could cost about £300 million, partly offset by insurance and controls.

Further detail on the investment and rotation plan is set out in the latest corporate update here.

The M&S cafe closures will be phased through compact locations, with the aim of improving ranges, layouts and speed of service as the broader store plan rolls out.

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