Marks & Spencer has announced the closure of 11 cafes located in its smaller food shops as part of a strategic overhaul of its store network. The company revealed that the decision to shut down the cafes is aimed at creating more space for popular products while ensuring that no jobs will be lost, with affected staff being redeployed within the stores. The cafe closures will impact fewer than 4% of the 316 food shops operated by the retail giant.
A spokesperson from M&S stated that the move is part of their initiative to modernize the food business and offer a wider range of M&S Food products to customers. As part of this transformation, new coffee shops serving delectable food and expertly crafted fairtrade coffee will be introduced, including at the newly opened Bristol Cabot Circus store.
In alignment with a broader £300 million investment and store reorganization plan, M&S will significantly expand its number of food halls. The company has been converting several full-line stores into food-focused outlets, with other food-only stores receiving investments to enhance operations and cater to a larger customer base.
M&S aims to grow its food store count to approximately 420 by the end of 2028, as it continues its financial recovery following a major cyberattack in April. The cyber incident, which cost the company around £300 million, resulted in a temporary halt of online orders for six weeks after hackers compromised the personal details of potentially millions of shoppers.
Earlier this year, M&S faced a crisis when hackers stole customer data and demanded ransom, a situation that also affected other retailers like Co-op and Harrods. Security experts noted a surge in ransomware attacks on UK retailers, with the sector ranking fifth among the most targeted industries. The public sector, particularly higher education, NHS, local government, and the Ministry of Defence, remained the top targets for such cyber threats.