Marks and Spencer has announced its plans to close a town centre store – a move described as “a real blow” by a leading politician.
The retail chain is consulting with staff about the proposed closure as it cuts the number of shops that sell clothes and homeware and focuses on its “Simply Food” stores.
The company’s decision to close its branch in Queensway, Crawley, was “a real blow for the town centre”, Crawley Borough Council leader Michael Jones said.
M&S regional manager Graham Bennett said: “Shopping habits are changing so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores with the right space to offer customers a brilliant shopping experience.
“As part of this transformation, last week we announced our proposal to close the M&S Crawley store.
“Our priority now is to talk to our colleagues about what this announcement means for them.”
Mr Bennett said that, should the proposed closure go ahead, staff would be offered alternative roles “wherever possible”.
The company will also work with the council “to ensure the site can be brought back into use as soon as possible”.
Councillor Jones said: “This is awful news for M&S staff, many of whom have worked in the store for a very long time.
“We will do all we can to help affected staff through our Employ Crawley Team which provides free employment support and advice.
“It’s a real blow for the town centre. M&S has been a fixture in Queensway for decades so it will be sad to see it go.
“We will work with the building owner to see what plans there are for this major site.”
Mr Bennett said that Marks and Spencer had invested more than £12.5 million in stores across the south east and was “open to the idea of investing in a new, accessible M&S store in Crawley in the future”.
But it would have to be the “right type of site with car parking for our customers”.
Councillor Jones said that he was “heartened” to hear this, adding: “I sincerely hope the company is able to find a suitable location for a new store in the future.”
While M&S is the latest in a string of big-name stores to close, Mr Jones said that retail in the town centre was “still relatively robust”.
The vacancy rate for empty units stands at 11.3 per cent – down from 12.4 per cent 12 months ago and lower than the national average of 14 per cent.
He said: “Crawley’s economy has bounced back significantly since the dark days of the pandemic.
“Working together, the council and local stakeholders have secured more than £30 million to invest in the town centre in the coming years.”
