Marks & Spencer (M&S) has submitted plans for a new store in Hull, aiming to reintroduce clothing and homeware departments to the city for the first time since 2019. The previous M&S store on Whitefriargate closed in 2019, a move that was described as ‘devastating news for Hull’ at the time
The proposed store is expected to revitalise M&S’s presence in Hull, offering a range of food, clothing and home products to local shoppers.
The submitted plans outline a 61,000 sq ft (5,659 sq m) M&S store at Kingswood Retail Park, featuring food, home, and clothing departments and creating 43 new jobs. Currently, M&S operates a smaller food store in Kingswood, but the proposal highlights that it is “too small to meet M&S’s business model requirements.”
The application, submitted by Burnett Planning on behalf of Legal & General Assurance (Pensions Management) Limited, the retail park’s owner, includes reconfiguring the existing Matalan store. Matalan would continue to trade from a smaller unit, while M&S would take over the larger space, with a food hall on the ground floor and clothing and home departments spanning the ground and a newly created first floor. Additional space would be designated for staff facilities and storage.
Hull City Council leader Councillor Mike Ross welcomed the proposal, calling it a “massive sign of confidence” in the local economy.
The reintroduction of M&S’s clothing and homeware departments is anticipated to boost footfall, create 43 new jobs, and contribute positively to the local economy.
