M&S has started the fit out of its new store in the Rochdale Riverside development.
The scheme, a joint venture between Genr8 and Kajima, in partnership with Rochdale council, will bring approximately 200,000 sq ft of retail and leisure accommodation to the heart of Rochdale town centre.
Up to 100 new and existing M&S colleagues will work at the new store with recruitment beginning via M&S’s careers website in spring 2020.
The new site will offer shoppers both food and clothing including a click & collect point.
Simon Layton, M&S head of region for Lancashire and Cumbria, said: “Plans for our new store are moving ahead with pace and we can’t wait to share more details in the coming months. “Every part of the store is being designed to offer a fantastic family shopping experience and best serve our customers’ needs.
“Rochdale Riverside is central to the town’s regeneration and, with its convenient location adjacent to the new Metrolink station and Transport Interchange, the store will be perfect for families enjoying the area’s leisure offering, as well as quick pit-stops.”
The Riverside scheme will also include a number of leisure facilities with Hollywood Bowl’s Puttstars indoor golf facility and a Reel Cinema having also signed up.
There will also be a mix of retail and over 500 car parking spaces, alongside public transport links.
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Steve Rumbelow, CEO of Rochdale council, said: “This new M&S store is a key anchor of the Rochdale Riverside scheme. It’s something the council wants and, more importantly, the people of Rochdale want, so it’s fantastic to see it entering the final stages of development, alongside Reel Cinemas, which has also started its internal fit out.
“Rochdale Riverside is on track to open its doors to the public in spring next year and we’re looking forward to celebrating the completion of another part of the £400m regeneration programme, which is transforming Rochdale town centre.”
Mike Smith, Partner at Genr8 Developments said: “We’re making real progress and are well into the final stages of development at Riverside. This landmark project for the region is shaping up to have a brilliantly diverse tenant mix, and the addition of M&S will grant the local community access to yet another high-quality, internationally recognised operator.
“M&S’ commitment to Rochdale Riverside is testament to the calibre of the scheme – we’re so excited to hand over to the team, and we look forward to watching the unit fit-out progress in the coming months.”
Anthony Dillon, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in the North, said: “This is a fantastic milestone for this flagship project, one that we’re proud to say will be a transformative new addition to Rochdale’s town centre and is already proving an exciting catalyst to encourage new inward investment.”
This latest development comes shortly after M&S’s opening at Kinglsey Village – its first clothing store opening in the South West for ten years, and the announcement it will open at Nottingham Giltbrook next summer.