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50 news jobs created at flagship Newcastle M&S store

A total of fifty new jobs have been created at the M&S store on Northumberland Street in Newcastle city centre.

Reportedly surveying over 250,000 people nationwide, the British retailer has taken on a host of customer feedback to improve its in-store offering.

The firm says a desire for increased staffing levels from consumers has led to the flagship Newcastle store being bolstered by 50 new positions, welcome news for the employer which has made the headlines this year for jobs cuts rather than creation.

The new roles are all focused on serving customers and have resulted in significant changes to the way the store is operating, from extended womenswear fitting room support to a refurbished Foodhall.

Shoppers in the beauty, footwear and men’s suit departments will now also be greeted by store hosts that are dedicated to welcoming and assisting customers at all times. Refurbishments are also taking place within the fitting rooms and toilets.

The womenswear department has also unveiled a new look. With a focus on reducing duplication and offering better product availability, customers can now browse item-led areas to discover the key AW16 products.

Nikki Mckidd, Store Manager at M&S Newcastle, said: “The changes we’ve made in-store are from direct customer feedback as to how they’d like to shop.

“Bringing in new colleagues and improving the way shoppers can navigate the store has given us the ability to be able to offer a personal touch to our service – the store hosts in particular have been a really successful addition to the team.

“The customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re thrilled to create a shopping experience that does just that.”