This is not just a foodhall ...

Percy pig pops into celebrate new m&s store

Marks & Spencer opened their new foodhall within Hamilton Retail Park last week.

Alongside a kilted Percy Pig, the M&S Hamilton team officially cut the ribbon at 9am, with customer assistant, Carol Cawdon, declaring the neon-lit store open for business, shortly after celebrating her 40 years of service with M&S.

Making last week’s opening even more exciting, was Uddingston-based Scottish suppliers, Tunnock’s, who were handing out samples of their caramel wafers and teacakes instore and from their iconic vintage van in the car park. Plus, the sound of bagpipes was serenading excited shoppers as they entered.

Bigger than ever, the new fresh-market style foodhall is bursting with new high-tech and sustainable ways to shop.

The new features include a four-foot long cheese barge, a hydration station for shoppers to refill water bottles, plus an in-store bakery, with fresh bread made every day.

Also, the new store offers customers the chance to ‘Scan and Shop’, a new and convenient digital way to shop in-store where customers can use a handheld scanner and the M&S Sparks app to scan as they go round the aisles. The team, all of whom came from the Regent Shopping Centre store which closed last Tuesday, had been counting down to opening, along with local customers, who started queuing at 8am.

And to surprise those dedicated customers, the store gifted golden tokens for the first 200 shoppers – the last ticket given out by 9.15am.

All tickets guaranteed a prize, with one lucky shopper in with a chance of winning a £200 voucher.

Manager Lorraine Mcgurk is proud of the Scottish look and feel of the new store said: “We’re thrilled to open our new foodhall in Hamilton and welcome our Scottish customers to our sleek new neon-lit store. After weeks of hard work behind the scenes, the team and I are excited to show off our bold new features, such as an amazing cheese barge and hightech Scan and Shop.

“Having Tunnock’s and the piper along is an absolute bonus too.”

David Brown, from Tunnock’s, said: “We’re very proud to continue to supply our teacakes to M&S Scotland and to be here to celebrate the opening of Hamilton’s new foodhall, meeting customers and handing out our delicious biccies.

“It’s fun to see everyone come together and celebrate. It’s a pleasure to be invited.”