Marks and Spencer (M&S) is set to open 6 new stores, making a £50m investment into expanding its store estate in the North West region of the UK.

The new stores are set to create 300 jobs, with locations including Speke, Formby, Thornton-Cleveleys, Warrington, Blackburn and Bolton, reported Retail Week.

Alongside the new stores, the retailer will be renovating its New Mersey Retail Park location, moving the site and changing it from just a food hall to a full-line store.

It is understood the new store openings are set to add 100,000 sq ft to the M&S store estate. The move comes amid the high-street retailer’s store renewal and transformation programme.

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M&S has said it is aiming to create 180 “higher quality, higher productivity full-line stores”, and add 100 “bigger, better” food locations, by the end of the 2028 financial year.

“As we reshape for growth, we want to open new stores we can be proud of and that deliver the best possible shopping experience for customers,” said Marks & Spencer property director Will Smith.

“Our pipeline for 2025 demonstrates our continued investment in market-leading stores as we deliver our transformation priorities.

“We have the opportunity in the North West of England to continue investing in market-leading stores as part of our renewal and rotation strategy.”

Elsewhere in the country, M&S is also investing in its c-store estate. Last year it announced it was to open 10 new convenience stores while renewing up to 50 as it aims to further grow its £1bn convenience business.