Date announced for city centre M&S closure

Marks & Spencer said its Leicester city centre store was set to close in August

Retail giant Marks and Spencer (M&S) has announced a "provisional" date for the closure of a city centre store.

The company said it had made "the tough decision to propose to close" Leicester's Gallowtree Gate branch in May.

Regional manager Calum Telford has now confirmed the store is set to shut on 17 August.

Leicester's business improvement district (BID) described the news as "disappointing but not surprising".

A petition was launched to persuade M&S to stay open following the announcement, describing it as "a precious store".

Mr Telford said the planned closure was a result of shopping habits changing.

"Our store rotation strategy is all about making sure we have the right stores with the right space to offer a brilliant shopping experience," he said.

"Sadly, that does mean taking the tough decision to close our Gallowtree Gate store."

The retailer has not yet confirmed the number of jobs that will be affected by the closure.

However, Mr Telford said "individual conversations" were continuing with employees, and "wherever possible" they would be offered alternative roles in the business.

He said the company was investing into the nearby Fosse Park store, and had made a multi-million-pound investment in a distribution centre in Castle Donington, employing more than 1,700 people.

'New openings'

Simon Jenner, director of Leicester's BID, said the departure of "such a long-standing" retailer was "indeed significant", but he said he remained "optimistic" about the city's future.

"While the closure of M&S is noteworthy and significant, it is part of a larger trend across the UK and M&S are stating that staff will be redeployed," he said.

"In recent years, we've continued to see the growth and new openings of independent businesses in Leicester. New openings have substantially outpaced closures, reflecting a resilient local economy."

Other retailers including C&A, British Home Stores, Fenwicks have all shut and left the city's High Street over the years.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby added: "They've all moved on and their spaces have been filled with other retailers who wanted to invest in Leicester and to make sure retailing continues to prosper here."

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