Marks & Spencer: Barnsley store to close for new out of town shop

A new out-of-town food hall would replace the decades old M&S town centre store, bosses said

Hight Street stalwart Marks & Spencer has announced it will close its existing Barnsley town centre store.

However, a new food hall to replace the Queen Street shop is expected to open at the town's Peel Retail Park in early 2023, the firm said.

In May, the chain said a shift in shopping habits meant many branches would move to the edge of towns.

Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis said it was "disappointing news, with a lot of people sorry to see the store go".

The Labour politician said he had been assured by M&S there would be no job losses as a consequence of the move and that jobs would actually be created.

However, Mr Jarvis said he knew people for whom the brand was their "first port of call" when they visited the town.

"They come into town to go and do their shopping at M&S in a way they have done for many years," he said.

The new store will be based on the Peel Retail Park which is not in the centre of town

One shopper who spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield described the closure of the store as a "really big loss", while another said lot of people "only come into town for Marks & Spencer".

However, some younger shoppers said the store was "full of old people".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Barnsley Council leader Sir Steve Houghton was sad to see the store go, but happy the chain had kept an outlet in the town.

"We will be working with the owners of the current M&S unit over the coming months to prepare for the change and are exploring various options for its use," he said.