M&S creates jobs with investment in new Leeds anchor store

A British supermarket has announced that it is creating new jobs as it relocates its Leeds outlet to a new anchor store formerly occupied by Debenhams.

M&S has agreed a deal with Landsec to move to a new anchor store in retail and leisure park White Rose Leeds, which will undergo transformation to fit M&S’ requirements over the next year.

The unit will include nearly 80,000 sq ft of trading space, and will feature a 15,000 sq ft M&S Foodhall, as well as Womenswear, Lingerie, Beauty, Childrenswear, Menswear, and Home departments, plus an M&S Café.

All staff will be retained and transferred to the new M&S, with additional recruitment to support the larger store.

Pablo Sueiras, senior portfolio director at Landsec, commented: “We are shaping White Rose Leeds in a way that truly meets all the needs of our community, combining fashion, dining, leisure, and convenience.

“We have seen over the last year just how important the offer of brands like M&S has been, and we are delighted to have secured this upsize with them.

“Landsec has invested significantly to create this bespoke unit for M&S, which is undoubtedly the best way to transform this space to improve the White Rose offer for our guests.

“The relocation and significantly upsized M&S store also demonstrates the strong performance at White Rose, and the centre’s role in providing flagship stores for key brands in the region.

“This follows upsizes in recent years with Next and River Island, and is further evidence of our commitment to support brand partners that want to expand their offer at White Rose.”

Paula Varley, regional manager for M&S, said: “We’re really excited to announce our plans to move to a brand-new, larger M&S full line store in White Rose.

“All colleagues in our existing store will move to work in the new store and we’re also delighted to be creating new roles on top of this.

“This investment in Leeds and the wider local area is part of the reshaping of our store estate to make sure it’s fit for the future, meeting the needs of customers today – and those of tomorrow.”