Marks And Spencer to close Waterlooville cafe and create larger foodhall in expansion push
Marks And Spencer will close its on-site cafe at the Waterlooville store in the Wellington Retail Park and repurpose the space for a larger foodhall, a move that comes as the retailer presses ahead with plans to double its brand and open new stores across the country.
Waterlooville cafe to be re‑purposed next month
The Waterlooville cafe is the latest confirmed closure as the company reconfigures the store to offer a broader food range. Rebecca Rabadia, Regional Manager at M&S, said: “We know many of our customers want to be able to shop a wider range of M&S Food. That’s why after reviewing our Waterlooville store, we are re-purposing the café space next month to offer even more delicious products, including more Select Farms produce. We understand this will be disappointing news for some of our customers, however our team will continue working hard to serve them in-store. ”
Four other cafes closed in recent months
marks and spencer has already closed a number of on-site cafes in recent months, including venues in Crawley, Dunblane, Stirling and Congleton. these moves form part of a wider shift in how it configures stores to prioritise food sales.
Full expansion plan and short‑term openings
Between November 2025 and March 2026, 20 new or renewed M&S stores are set to open, creating 800 jobs. The chain has published longer-term ambitions to double its brand by opening stores across the country, with a focus on larger-format food destinations as part of that strategy.
Brochure sets strict site requirements
In an updated brochure of requirements, marks and spencer has outlined that all new sites will need to be 21, 500 + sqft, in a highly visible location with easy access to major roads and it will need to have dedicated parking. The brochure lists 500 potential locations under consideration, with multiple Hampshire sites included.
500 potential locations named, many in Hampshire
The list of 500 potential locations features several Hampshire towns: Portsmouth, Waterlooville, Bishops Waltham, Locks Heath/Fareham, Chandler’s Ford, Basingstoke, Fleet, Hook and Petersfield. The chain’s managing director of M&S Food, Alex Freudmann, said: “The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth. Our team want new sites where we could open a large M&S Food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers. ”
marks and spencer is therefore shifting some in-store hospitality into expanded foodhalls as it pursues those site specifications and the published pipeline of openings.
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The Waterlooville reconfiguration is scheduled to start next month, and the wider programme of openings — 20 new or renewed stores between November 2025 and March 2026 — is the next confirmed milestone, expected to create 800 jobs.
