News: Is Marks & Spencer planning to return to Parkgate?

M&S is searching for new, bigger food store sites as it aims to double the size of its food business. A new "potential location list" contains two areas in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported in 2019 that the national retailer was closing its large Parkgate store when it confirmed plans to close over 100 stores in total in order to "radically reshape M&S's Clothing & Home space" alongside relocations, conversions, downsizes and the introduction of concessions.

The historic retailer made the decision to relocate its store on College Street in Rotherham town centre to Parkgate Shopping in the early 2000's. M&S opened a Rotherham Simply Food store at Cortonwood, which is also in Rotherham, in 2017.

Following the performance of the new food stores opened in the last three years, M&S is now expanding the number of locations in its search for sites, including areas where there is not yet an M&S store. It is also looking to expand the size of its food stores to stock a fuller range and attract more customers to do their weekly shop.

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Out of London, M&S requires edge of centre and out of town locations for units of 21,500 sq ft that accommodate its new renewal format. It has 500 areas across the UK on a new potential location list.

In Rotherham, Wickersley and Cortonwood have been identified as target locations.

The current M&S unit at Cortonwood is 11,000 sq ft whereas Wickersley is without a large foodstore, although it is close to neighbouring Bramley which has a Morrisons and an Aldi.

At Parkgate, where the former M&S is now occupied by an 18,500 sq ft Poundland, a planning application has been approved for a new 20,000 sq ft unit designed for a food retailer.

The plans discussed that it will be a "national multiple food retailer" that will be the new tenants but no occupier has been named. An analysis of the current market submitted with the application by agents, Savills, stated that this size of store is popular with secondary foodstores including Waitrose, M&S and Co-op, and discount foodstore retailers including Aldi and Lidl.

Rothbiz recently reported that commercial property agents are now showing that The Food Warehouse is taking the former TUI unit at Parkgate.

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News: Plans approved for new Rotherham foodstore

An outline planning application has been approved for a new foodstore at a Rotherham retail park, capping off an impressive 2024 for the site's new owners.

Rothbiz reported in July on the proposals to expand Parkgate Shopping, the 2nd largest purpose-built retail warehouse park in the UK.

Having acquired the park for around £60m, new owners, Columbia Threadneedle, have assessed the potential for expansion with the development of the delayed £12m link road and Park & Ride.

The outline planning application was submitted for land next to Matalan which is currently used as a Park & Ride for the tram-train. The proposal was submitted in outline with all matters reserved except for access.

With the relocation of the Park & Ride to a larger facility which is still being completed, the new proposal is for a 20,000 sq ft rectangular unit "that is the required format of food retailers in order to provide linear aisle for convenience goods shopping."

The plans discuss that it will be a "national multiple food retailer" that will be the new tenants, with the proposed store employing circa 50 full-time equivalent staff members.

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As the site is classed as out of town, a retail assessment and sequential test is also included.

Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.

Planners at Rotherham Council agreed that there are no other preferrable sites within the Rotherham town centre or Parkgate district centres given the floorspace and car park requirement of foodstores.

Planning officers also concluded that the new store would only have a minimal impact on the Tesco store on Drummond Street, which would "still be trading at significant levels above its expected level."

Conclusions also add that "car parking capacity at the retail park, is not unduly affected by the development, as the loss of car park spaces is mainly spaces associated with the Tram Park and Ride which operates differently to the remainder of the retail park."

No occupier is named but an analysis of the current market submitted with the application by agents, Savills, states that this size of store is popular with secondary foodstores including Waitrose, M&S and Co-op, and discount foodstore retailers including Aldi and Lidl.

Parkgate Shopping has enjoyed a hugely successful year, in part thanks to the arrivals of a host of new brands and the opening of the new link road in December 2024. New owners, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, took the helm in January 2024, with plans to "better align the shopping mix with the wants and wishes of Parkgate’s customers."

New openings include the Sports Direct and USC combined store and Everlast gym, the reopening of Wilko, the expansion of Superdrug and new arrivals of Starbucks, Pavers and Foot Asylum. Negotiations are underway for more to come in 2025.

Visitor numbers were 6% up in the first week of December compared to the same period in the previous year.

Parkgate Centre Manager, Janet Drury, said: “It has been a phenomenal festive period here at Parkgate. Our shops and restaurants were buzzing with Christmas shoppers enjoying the season and making the most of the amazing range on offer, all in one place. It has led to some exceptional trading successes for our brands.

“Once again, the Parkgate community came together in support of Families First’s Toy Appeal, which it supported for a 14th year, just weeks after the charity was recognised with a King’s Award for Voluntary Service. We have such a lot to be thankful for and wish our loyal customers a very Happy New Year. Watch this space for more exciting news from Parkgate in 2025!”

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News: Rotherham MP dismayed at M&S plans

Local MP John Healey says plans by Marks & Spencer to close its store at Parkgate Shopping are a big blow to the town.

Earlier this month the national retailer announced plans to close a further 17 more stores with the loss of 1,000 jobs - including its Rotherham store at Parkgate.

The move is part of plans to close over 100 stores in total by 2022 in order to "radically reshape M&S's Clothing & Home space" alongside relocations, conversions, downsizes and the introduction of concessions.

Detailing transformation plans last year, M&S bosses said that its plan for a "store estate in a multi-channel world" would include evaluating stores based cash payback and internal rate of return (IRR) - ie. profitability. They added that the future estate would be based on stronger store economics with lower rent and payroll as a percent of sales.

The Wentworth and Dearne MP said that a large number of people have been in touch with his office to raise their concerns over the decision.

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In a letter to M&S CEO, Steve Rowe, John said: "Many in my constituency shop and work at the store and the recently announced closure plans came as a shock to your committed workers and customers.

"This is a big blow to the town as M&S is an anchor store for Parkgate just as it was in central Rotherham and it will be sad to see the name of Marks and Spencer disappear from the town for the first time in 125 years.

"I too am dismayed by this decision, 79 people now face relocation or redundancy, and this is part of a pattern across the country. I don't want to see Parkgate start to struggle like our town centre has over the last decade.

"I write therefore to urge you to reconsider this closure so the historic name of Marks & Spencer can remain in a town that has been associated with the company since 1894."

The historic retailer made the decision to relocate its store on College Street in Rotherham town centre to Parkgate Shopping in the early 2000's. It opened a Simply Food store at Cortonwood in Rotherham in 2017.

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News: Rotherham Marks & Spencer on closure list

National retailer, Marks & Spencer has announced plans to close a further 17 more stores with the loss of 1,000 jobs - including its Rotherham store at Parkgate.

Last year, M&S confirmed that it would close over 100 stores in total by 2022 in order to "radically reshape M&S's Clothing & Home space" alongside relocations, conversions, downsizes and the introduction of concessions.

The historic retailer made the decision to relocate its store on College Street in Rotherham town centre to Parkgate Shopping in the early 2000's.

Consultation is now underway staff at the Parkgate store over the proposed closure.

Other stores earmarked for closure include Huddersfield, Hull, Boston, Bedford, Buxton and and Weston-super-Mare.

Paula Varley, M&S Head of Region for South Yorkshire and East Midlands, said: "Proposing to close our Rotherham store has not been an easy decision to make.

"Over the coming weeks we'll be talking to each colleague individually as we go through the consultation process.

"We remain dedicated to our customers and, if the proposal goes ahead, we will continue to serve them from our other stores in the region including M&S Meadowhall."

M&S opened a Rotherham Simply Food store at Cortonwood in 2017.

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Sacha Berendji, retail, operations and property director at Marks & Spencer, explained last year: "We are making good progress with our plans to reshape our store estate to be more relevant to our customers and support our online growth plans. Closing stores isn't easy but it is vital for the future of M&S.

"Where we have closed stores, we are seeing an encouraging number of customers moving to nearby stores and enjoying shopping with us in a better environment, which is why we're continuing to transform our estate with pace."

The acceleration of the UK store estate programme is part of a wider five-year transformation plan to "make M&S special again."

Identifying that its store estate was not fit for the future, M&S has the ambition to create fewer, better Clothing & Home stores. Bosses identified a reduction of at least 25% of its 2016 store space with a higher quality store estate to complement online growth.

Stores will be "larger, digitally enabled, better located and more inspirational for customers to shop. They will also be supported by a seamless online experience across all digital channels including mobile and social, and by a conveniently located network of Food stores that offer customers a next-day collect in store service for Clothing & Home purchases."

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News: Marks & Spencer targets new Rotherham retail development

Renowned British retailer, Marks & Spencer could be one of the first occupiers at a new £30m retail development in Rotherham, if planning approval can be gained for a Simply Food store.

Plans for a 98,000 sq ft development, to be known as Cortonwood Shopping Park, were only passed on appeal at a public inquiry in 2013 after earlier being refused by Rotherham Council.

Developer Helical Retail has been working on an extension to the existing Cortonwood Retail Park and the initial scheme would see a current distribution warehouse demolished to make way for six large units.

Plans were amended in 2014 for nine new out-of-town retail stores creating around 85,000 sq ft of development together with the addition of floorspace at mezzanine level that would not exceed 60,000 sq ft of gross internal area. A tenth standalone unit has been added to the scheme.

Earlier this year, Helical Retail said that negotiations were proceeding with a number of leading fashion retailers and a start on site is anticipated in January 2016, once funding has been obtained.

The developers believe that the new retail park will create between 279 and 372 jobs (equivalent to 186 full time jobs).

Marks & Spencer has expressed firm interest in operating its "Simply Food" operation from the scheme and is looking to take a 1,022 sq m unit, creating an estimated 50 - 55 jobs. Company policy for store openings sees the recruitment of as many of the new staff as possible from the local area.

However, M&S store will only take the unit if developers can overturn a condition of the original planning permission that prevents the primary use of any of the permitted retail units to be for the sale of food.

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A retail statement included with the application discusses the impact of the proposed food store on the catchment area of the belt of Dearne Valley towns and concludes that "there is more than adequate capacity to accommodate the proposal in the context of the retail geography of the catchment area."

It adds that any trade diversion is likely to come from supermarkets and superstores and that the new Cortonwood development is set to "claw back trade currently going primarily to Parkgate, Meadowhall, various retail parks and to a much lesser extent, town centres."

Based on 2019 estimates with the proposed M&S having a turnover of £9.48m, most trade is expected to be diverted from the nearby Morrison's (£2.57m) and from M&S and Morrison's at Parkgate (£1.28m). £1.07m of the store's turnover is assessed as being diverted from town and district centres, the only locations given protection by national planning policies.

A sequential assessment has not been submitted.

In a letter in support of the application, Chris Smith, Simply Food acquisitions manager for Marks & Spencer, said: "We see the proposal as having a range of benefits for our existing and future customers including through the convenience of being able to purchase items, whether in conjunction with shopping trips to ... neighbouring and wider retail parks at Cortonwood, or as an additional food retailing facility for local area residents.

"We will be extending choice, competition and diversity in food retailing for users of the retail park and for local residents and complimenting our other stores in surrounding areas which sell both non-food and food goods.

"Our intention is to increase our food market share, and consistent with this we remain committed to our stores within Barnsley (Queen Street), Rotherham Parkgate and Meadowhall which have been subject to recent investment and will remain unaffected by this proposal."

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