What We Proposed

M&S will open a new Foodhall at Unit 1B of Christchurch Retail Park. This new store will replace the existing store on High Street which is due to close. Due to its small size and operational issues, the High Street store no longer meets our requirements as it cannot provide the shopping experience that we want to create.

The store will deliver the very best of M&S Food in a modern, energy-efficient and attractively landscaped setting, ensuring a long-term commitment to serving local residents and supporting Christchurch’s economy.

Key Features:

  • A high-quality M&S Foodhall providing a wide selection of fresh, seasonal produce from M&S Select Farms, alongside everyday essentials and M&S favourites not currently available in Christchurch.

  • Over 30 new jobs, offering a range of roles and training opportunities for the local community.

  • Improved accessibility, servicing and parking arrangements, including provision for walking and cycling.

  • A scheme designed to minimise environmental impact, making efficient use of the existing building.

  • Safeguarding existing M&S jobs, with colleagues at the current store transferring to the new M&S Foodhall, alongside the creation of additional new roles.

Sustainability First

The new store will be fully electric and designed to reduce energy use. It will be fitted with energy-efficient lighting and support M&S’s Plan A commitments to become a net zero business by 2040.

Key sustainability features include:

Energy-efficient lighting and services

Re-use of an existing building

Use of energy management systems

Good public transport links

Easy to Access, Easy to Shop

The proposed M&S Foodhall will be located at Christchurch Retail Park, off Barrack Road, a well-established retail destination that is easy to reach from Christchurch and the surrounding area. The site benefits from strong transport connections and is easily accessible by car, on foot, by cycle and by public transport, with regular local bus services linking the retail park to the town centre and neighbouring communities.

The car park includes 218 customer parking spaces, including accessible bays, parent and child spaces, ensuring the new Foodhall is convenient and accessible for all customers. Secure cycle parking will also be provided, encouraging more sustainable travel and making it easier for customers to visit by bike.

Boost for Local Employment

The new M&S Foodhall will create over 30 new jobs across a range of roles, from customer service and retail to management, providing valuable employment opportunities for local people. The existing jobs in the High Street store will be safeguarded as colleagues will transfer to the new store. As one of the UK's largest private sector employers, M&S is committed to offering high-quality careers, with clear opportunities for progression through structured training and development programmes. These include front-line management training to help colleagues progress into Team Manager roles, a Level 4 Retail Management apprenticeship for school leavers and customer assistants, and a retail graduate programme that supports the next generation of store managers.

The project will also support jobs during construction, fit-out and across the wider supply chain, with a strong focus on using local contractors and expertise wherever possible.

M&S is also proud to help people into work through its Marks & Start employability programme, delivered in partnership with The King's Trust. Since launching, the programme in 2004, Marks & Start has supported more than 12,000 young people facing barriers to employment to gain valuable workplace experience and develop the skills needed for long-term careers, including over 700 people across the South West.

Community Benefits

Since 2015, M&S has worked with redistribution platform Neighbourly across its store network to make sure any edible food surplus reaches local foodbanks and charities. The equivalent of over 100 million meals has been donated to those who need it most through the partnership. In the local area we have worked with local groups including Dorset Reclaim, Townsend Community Fridge, and The Bread Bin.

M&S is proud to support British farming through longstanding relationships with over 9,500 Select Farm partners across the UK - over 1,200 are based here in the South West.

The proposed Christchurch store will further strengthen our commitment to local sourcing, bringing high-quality, locally produced food straight to customer's shelves.