Overview

• M&S confirmed the closure of its Dudley Street store, open since 1929, after years of underperformance and a failure to recover fully from the Covid pandemic.
• A formal consultation process has begun to review roles and offer affected employees alternative positions within the company.
• Wolverhampton Council has pledged to help secure a new food-oriented M&S location and coordinate local employment support for displaced staff.
• The closure forms part of a £500 million store rotation programme aiming to cut full-line outlets from 247 to 180 by 2028 and add 104 Simply Food shops.
• M&S is also investing in its Black Country estate with planned modernisation work at its Merry Hill store.