Marks & Spencer (M&S) has unveiled plans to step up its store rotation programme, committing more than £300m to opening and revamping 37 sites across the UK during the current financial year.

The high street retailer’s new investment will fund the launch of 16 new stores, nine extended sites and 12 renewals, as the retailer pushes ahead with its long-term ambition to operate 180 full-line and 420 food-only branches by the end of the 2028 financial year.

The rollout includes two new full-line stores, previously announced for Bath Southgate and Bristol Cabot Circus, and 12 new food halls, alongside upgraded locations in Bell Green, Sydenham, Abingdon, Cannock and Farnham.

All sites will feature the latest M&S store format, including wider aisles, market-style fresh produce areas and enhanced Foodhall experiences. Barista-style coffee counters and updated beauty departments will also feature in full-line stores.

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The scale of the rollout follows a major acceleration in M&S’s property activity, where the last year alone, the retailer signed 47 property deals for future openings, more than in the previous three years combined, as part of its broader strategy to optimise its estate.

M&S said it is also actively reviewing over 300 potential new locations, from Elgin in Scotland to Exeter in the South West, as it seeks to bring its offer to more communities across the UK.

CEO Stuart Machin said: “This year we are stepping up the pace of our programme and investing over £300m to rotate and renew stores across the country.

“We have a rigorous strategy to make sure we have the right stores in the right places, and this year we will deliver 37 new and renewed stores with the best of our Food, Fashion and Home and Beauty to our 32 million customers.”

Earlier this year, M&S revealed it is to open a fleet of new foodhalls across London as part of a £90m investment.