M&S to open massive new Trafford Centre store in former Debenhams site
Credit: The Trafford Centre.
There’s finally signs of life for the former Debenhams department store at the Trafford Centre, with M&S set to take over.
Marks & Spencer has secured the 135,000 sq ft unit at the huge shopping centre, which has been standing empty since Debenhams crashed into administration in 2021.
The new ‘mega store’ is part of a huge investment to make stores here in the north of England ‘bigger and better’.
It promises to have a brand new M&S cafe, a market-style food hall, and a much larger range of products than at its existing site at the Trafford Centre.
All the current staff will be transferred to the new larger site when it’s ready to open later this year.
Simon Layton, regional manager for M&S, said in a statement: “We’re really excited to announce our plans to move to a brand new, bigger, better M&S store in the Trafford Centre.
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“The new M&S Trafford Centre store will offer customers a much bigger range of M&S products across a fresh market-style foodhall, a spacious clothing, home and beauty department, and a brand new M&S café.”
Layton added: “This major investment in Greater Manchester is part of rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores in the right locations to offer our customers a brilliant shopping experience.”
As for the Debenhams site in the city centre, that remains empty and appears to steadily be falling into a state of disrepair, with graffiti now covering its walls and windows.
Councillor Pat Karney recently described it as ‘Manchester’s scruffiest building’ and added that it was ‘letting Manchester down’.
He later added that the council would be speaking to the building’s owners, and said: “These jackasses have let the City down.”
The new M&S site joins other new openings over the last year like GAP, H&M Home, and Dyson.
Featured image: Facebook, The Trafford Centre