M&S STORE CLOSES AFTER 87 YEARS
MARKS and Spencer’s Sauchiehall Street branch will close its doors for good today. The iconic high street giant is closing down after serving Glasgow shoppers for 87 years.
It comes after the Glasgow Times revealed the popular branch, which opened in 1935, was under threat in January.
M&S bosses blamed the closure on a “change in shopping habits” with the company now focusing on “investment on the right stores in the right places”.
The blow is the latest hit to the crisis-hit street in which retail footfall is still well below pre-pandemic levels.
It is now in the bottom ten for recovery out of 60 towns and cities across the UK, according to city business leaders.
The street will now be the priority focus of a review by the City Centre Task Force which will look at the changing shopping trends and the resulting increase in empty shop units.
Their £2 million plans to transform Glasgow, following the Covid-19 pandemic, will work on supporting the city’s recovery to bring back shoppers.
David Bates, M&S regional manager, previously said: “Shopping habits are changing, and this means we need to focus our investment on the right stores in the right places so we can provide the very best shopping experience for our Glasgow customers.
“As part of this transformation, in January, we announced to colleagues our proposal to close our Sauchiehall Street store and this date is now confirmed as April 30.
“This means we can invest in our 12 other Glasgow stores, including nearby M&S Argyle Street – so we keep pace with the demands of our customers today and in the future.
“We’ve worked hard to find alternative roles with M&S for as many colleagues as possible and have achieved this for the majority of those affected.
“We would like to thank all our brilliant Sauchiehall Street colleagues past and present and all our Glasgow customers who have shopped with us in this store.
“We want to make sure our existing site finds a complementary alternative use for the area, and we are in discussions with a potential partner. We will keep the communi
ty updated as these developments progress.”
Previously, the retailer said it was in talks with a “potential partner” to secure the future of the art deco building on one of Glasgow’s most famous shopping streets.
The firm owns the historic building and said it wishes to ensure a “complementary alternative use” for the building.
The potential closure, when it was announced earlier this year, was a shock to shoppers who expressed affection for the historic store.
The Glasgow City Centre Task Force will spend the cash on reducing the cost of outdoor licencing permits to encourage cafe culture among bars and restaurants as well as re-purposing empty premises. They will also offer residents travel discounts to encourage travel into town.
A campaign to attract tourists from Europe and North America will also be launched along with people in the UK who may want to visit for a short city break.