M&S closure 'blow' for city centre, say residents

Marks & Spencer's branch in Sunderland

Residents have complained that there will be "no shops left" in their city centre after a retailer announced a proposal to close its High Street branch.

Marks and Spencer (M&S) said it was proposing shutting its Sunderland shop in response to changing shopping habits.

Locals have described the exit as a "blow" to the city.

M&S said the Sunderland store would not close until its new branch in nearby Washington opened.

Hayley Ramm uses the store for "click and collect" shopping

Hayley Ramm, from Sunderland said: "It’s a blow for Sunderland... I know the council is spending lots of money to regenerate and reinvest, but it’s a bit of a shame.

"It's going to take people out of Sunderland again and Washington is not great for people who shop here to get to."

'Upsetting'

Shopper Robert Ing said: "There are a lot of elderly people who come out and they go over there [to M&S] because it is so convenient for them.

"It's really upsetting that they are taking this business away from the town centre."

Another resident added: "We are going to have no shops left in Sunderland.

"Betting shops, Greggs or people wanting to buy scooters - that’s all we’re going to have left."

M&S has been pulling out of city centre locations as it reviews its retail offering.

The company is set to open a 47,000 sq ft store at the Galleries Retail Park in Washington in spring 2024, and said the Sunderland city centre branch would remain open until then.

Peter McIntyre, from Sunderland City Council, said the council had been in talks with M&S about the branch for five years.

He said: “They’re not against investing in Sunderland, but we have tried offering up several sites in the city centre, none of which could fit their criteria."

Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Edgeworth called on the council to incentivise M&S to stay

Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Edgeworth described the retailer's exit as a "devastating blow" and called on the council to offer "incentives for Marks and Spencer to change its decision".

He said: "Otherwise this could be one of the final nails in the coffin for our retail offer – especially at a time when Free After 3 parking has been axed, incentivising people to choose places like The Galleries and Dalton Park over Sunderland."

Graeme Miller, Labour leader for Sunderland City Council, said: "The naivety of the Lib Dems is frankly staggering. The notion that we have it in our gift to dictate the commercial decisions of national brands like M&S shows just how far removed they are from reality."

He added: "We are working proactively with M&S to ensure they maintain a strong presence in our city and – while it was made very clear that keeping their current city centre store was not an option – we are supporting them to expand their out-of-town estate, including a massive expansion in Washington."