City centre M&S Foodhall to close due to ‘changing’ shopping habits

A popular city centre M&S Foodhall is set to shut its doors this summer following expiry of the lease.

Management at Newport’s Friars Walk M&S informed staff at the branch on Tuesday 7 September, with shoppers sharing their frustration on social media following a number of updates from local news pages.

The busy store is considered one of the draws of Newport city centre, with the branch operating from its current site at the Friars Walk Development since its inception in 2010.

Shoppers will now have to travel to the M&S store on Malpas Road, the M&S Foodhall at Newport Retail Park in Spytty, which sells groceries and clothing.

Richard Owen, M&S Regional Manager, shared: “Customer shopping habits are changing, and as part of our UK‑wide store rotation programme, we are continually reviewing our store estate to ensure we have the right stores in the right places, with the right space to deliver an excellent shopping experience.

“Following the recent expiry of our lease, we have decided to close the M&S store in Newport Gwent at Friars Walk towards the end of June 2026.

“We understand this will be disappointing for some customers and colleagues. Our priority is to support our colleagues through this change, including exploring alternative roles at nearby M&S stores wherever possible. We will continue serving Newport customers through those nearby stores and online.”

Ongoing closures

The closure of the Newport city centre branch comes amid the chain’s wider strategy to close underperforming stores, and follows the news that the retailer’s Oxford Street store in Swansea, which has been open since 1957 and operates as a full-line branch with a café, is expected to shut in late 2026, subject to consultation.

Writing to council leader Rob Steward, M&S Head of External Affairs Adam Hawksbee said age decision forms part of a UK-wide programme aimed at ensuring stores are in the “right space to deliver an excellent shopping experience”.

The retailer said the move follows a sustained decline in sales over the past 10 years, leaving the store no longer viable in its current format.

In a statement, the company said the programme is designed to ensure it has “the right stores, in the right place, with right space.”