What: M&S has returned to Bristol city centre with a major flagship store at Cabot Circus, featuring its largest in-store beauty offer and a market-style foodhall.

Why it is important: M&S’s investment in Bristol highlights the significance of local employment, supplier partnerships, and the role of property owners in driving retail recovery, as seen in recent industry analyses.

M&S has made a significant return to Bristol city centre with the opening of its new 80,000 sq ft flagship store at Cabot Circus, spanning three floors and offering a comprehensive range of food, fashion, home, and beauty products. The store’s lower ground floor features a market-style foodhall, an in-store bakery, and specialty counters, while the upper levels provide an extensive selection of fashion, including the latest Jaeger womenswear and Autograph menswear collections, as well as the largest in-store beauty offer to date. The opening, which created over 150 new jobs, underscores M&S’s commitment to local employment and its partnerships with more than 1,200 regional suppliers. The store’s design emphasizes experiential retail, with amenities such as a 200-seater coffee shop and festive product launches aimed at enhancing customer engagement. This flagship is part of a broader strategy, with over 20 new or renewed stores planned for the financial year, reflecting M&S’s focus on revitalizing its physical presence and supporting urban retail recovery.

IADS Notes: M&S’s return to Bristol with its Cabot Circus flagship mirrors broader trends in urban retail revitalization, as seen with the Marble Arch redevelopment (Drapers, December 2024) and significant investments in store modernization (Retail Week, July 2025; Drapers, September 2025). The integration of diverse categories and experiential elements aligns with the evolution of department store formats highlighted by The Retail Bulletin (April 2025) and Retail Week (August 2025). The focus on in-store experiences and community spaces reflects trends reported by the Los Angeles Times (March 2025), The Robin Report (January 2025), and Inside Retail (January 2025). Against a backdrop of sector-wide employment pressures (Financial Times, October 2025; Forbes, March 2025), M&S’s job creation and supplier partnerships stand out, while Hammerson’s role as property owner underscores the importance of strategic tenant mix and investment, as noted by Bloomberg (March 2025) and Retail Week (September 2025).

M&S opens brand new flagship store in Bristol City Centre