Supermarket Marks and Spencer has confirmed the closure of 14 in-store cafes, including 13 in England and one in Scotland. The retailer said that this is part of a store restructuring strategy to “provide more product choice and improve the shopping experience”.
All affected cafes in England and Scotland are set to shut their doors this year. Customers took to social media to express their disappointment, with one saying: “Nearly always used to do our shopping then go to the cafe. Staff reckon they’ve lost customers because of the cafe closing.” Another one commented: “They have closed the cafe in my local store and used the space to make a self-checkout area. Hate it.”
A third one said: “Crazy, the cafes are always busy, then most people will buy something in the store too!”
“I like to have a coffee and then do my shopping. Probably wouldn’t bother if no cafe,” added another shopper.
M&S cafes serve quality coffee, sandwiches and hot meals, and also offer daily discounts for over-60s, including a 10% senior discount. Marks and Spencer also runs a popular children’s menu priced at £4.50 and provides complimentary cake for parents in the mornings.
The retailer’s regional manager, Katie Whelan, commented: “We are re-purposing the café space in-store to provide more product choice and improve the shopping experience. We understand this will be disappointing news for some of our customers; however, our teams will continue working hard to serve them in-store.”
