Plans for a major new new Marks & Spencer (M&S) have been submitted to Hull City Council.
Despite having the ‘Simply Food’ shop at Kingswood, Hull has been without a full M&S store, offering clothing and homeware ever since the the closure of the Whitefriargate store in 2019. It had been a stalwart of Hull city centre for nearly 80 years.
The new store would be at Kingswood Retail Park, in part of the unit currently occupied by Matalan. It would be split in two to house both stores.
Planning documents submitted to the council state “the existing premises is too large for Matalan’s business model requirements.” Similarly it is said that the current M&S food store at Kingswood is “too small to meet M&S’s business model requirements” – making it seem like a win-win for the two brands.
The new store would have the full M&S offering – food, clothing and homeware. It would also create more jobs.
The current M&S at Kingswood employs 43 people, a number that would rise to 89 in the new, larger, and more comprehensive store.
Alterations to the existing unit’s car park would also be made, including the repositioning of bays and installing new electric vehicle chargers and trolley bays.
Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer founded the brand in Leeds in 1884, and it’s seen somewhat of a rebrand in recent years. The brand has gone from being viewed by many as a shop for older generations, to now being a popular choice for Gen-Z shoppers as well.
The plans will now be reviewed and decided upon by Hull City Council’s planning committee.
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
