// M&S has opened a new concept store at the Roaring Meg retail park in Stevenage
// The store features clothing, a marketplace-style foodhall with ‘Fill Your Own’ stations, a beauty department, an opticians and a 174-seat cafe
M&S has opened a new concept store in the former Debenhams ‘store of the future’ at the Roaring Meg retail park in Stevenage.
The 75,000 sq ft M&S store spans two floors and houses clothing, food, kidswear, a beauty department, an opticians and a 174-seat cafe.
The foodhall follows M&S’s new marketplace-design and includes ‘Fill Your Own’ stations. The retailer said the store would bring a “bigger, better, fresher shopping experience”.
The shop also has plenty of checkouts for speedy service, a mobile Scan & Shop option, which is available via the M&S App, and a click-and-collect service.
Store design expert John Ryan, editor of Newstores, was impressed by the store. He said: “This really does look like a large slice of a possible way forward for the retailer, particularly as regards clothing and home.
“What marks this out both as a store of the future and as different from almost any other branch that might be mentioned is that it feels like one enterprise.”
“If Marks & Spencer can draw lessons quickly from what has been done here and take it elsewhere, its clothing and home will be in with a real fighting chance.”
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By closing the Welwyn Garden City store. What used to be a short walk in, would be a trek into Stevenage, which isn’t attractive at the best of times. You’ve lost a heck of a lot of customers by closing the Welwyn branch.
Visited Stevenage and was very impressed. Clearly closing WGC its the right thing to do for the brand.
How rude!
You’ve also lost your Next branch. It’s the way the cookie crumbles at the moment. Both Next and M and S are doing this. If they invest in a new branch a nearby older branch will suffer.
M and S clothes are not that great in my view anyway but the food is still good and that’s the way they are going with less general stores and more food stores. We lost our general store in 2019 despite it being a money maker. Be worried for the future as footfall without a Next or M and S will be dire.
I will second that.
I miss the M&S branch in WGC a great deal too. And the Howard Centre does seem that bit quieter. We have a beautiful town and I don’t begrudge Stevenage the new M&S. I challenge anyone to visit Stevenage town centre and not be disheartened; it’s a soulless, concrete eyesore. There are decent areas of Stevenage and many hardworking decent people but the town centre does not represent them.
Won’t be long till this store (if they haven’t already) fill all the clothing sections with 3rd party brands and wind back on there own label clothing like they have done in many other there full line stores. M&S clothing section or GM as they call it is slowly turning into a Debenhams almost.
Good for final reductions on(yellow label) about 80% off in the evening.shame there’s nothing made in england
It looks a nice store and they have at least returned to Stevenage after closing some years back.
Love the store , great design layout. 3 hrs free parking. Just need to sort out the self scan, if your items have tags on you get to set the alarms off upon leaving the store. Which then you have stand there like a shop lift waiting for someone to check your shopping and remove the tags. Took away the “Sparks” out of Marks! and to top it all the lovely booklet that was handed to us on entering the store had a 10% off Voucher which we were not made aware of. So when you have just spent £450. Leaves a bitter taste. What would have been a score of 10/10 becomes a 1/10. We expect better from our favorite high street brand.
You seem to be blaming them for you not reading the booklet
Lets face it, it’s not what this town wanted all it has done is cause huge queues of traffic in the roaring meg because of people with nothing better to do than flock out to see a shop being opened like it’s a tourist attraction.
30/6 22. Roaring Meg signs in Brown– very similar to Local Brown Tourist Attraction signage for Knebworth House & Fairlands Valley could be the reason why. Whole area has evolved into confusingly named Retail Areas – Broadwater, Roebuck, Oakfields, Monkswood under various Landlords who’ve moved away from the pedestrianised Stevenage New Town concept. Tonnes of motorised pollution now generated moving about the area.
Been to store in Stevenage which is lovely , shame about the lack of parking
1st visit today. Can’t say I was overly impressed. Only 1 bus service to M&S site and with all the hold ups took an hour to get there from WGC. Will have another visit when store has settled in, otherwise it is London Colney for me.
Well I’m delighted that our Stevenage now has a fabulous Marks and Spencers once again,as the town has been hit hard with so many closures, Thank you for returning,
We deserve to have our Marks and spencer back in Stevenage lovely store and very helpful staff “well done Marks and Spencer
Been to the new Stevenage store it is fantastic, it is unlike any other M&S store. They have done an exceptional job fitting it out, I can understand why it took so long now. It has a huge range unlike when it was Debenhams even though its the same size. Much more on offer in the Men’s department and a very large Home department and a huge Foodhall with the chance to taste wine and coffee. All the staff were very friendly and helpful even though it is exceptionally busy. Only negatives are some issues in the cafe with the automated ordering and long waits ( no fault of the staff) and lack of parking. But in a few weeks when it dies down im sure this will improve. It is a great addition for the town and wider community, great for jobs etc. sad for WGC but M&S have been evaluating there business for years now.
Loved the store and the layout .. missed having no menus in cafe and not much for lunch times .. but hopefully that will improve .. well done M& S
I always found the Welwyn branch had a gloomy atmosphere, and I for one am glad that the M&S management finally recognised this and moved forwards to bigger and brighter things in Stevenage. Viva la revolución!!
Visited the new Stevenage store today and not impressed. Its a big store but the either didn’t stick the items I wanted at all or didn’t have the size. Very impersonal shopping experience. All self service in home and clothes. The cafe you order on a screen. Card only. No interaction with anyone. Really cold and horrible. Disgusting card only. It’s very soulless and will never visit again.
how about lack of info for the disabled. where is the disabled toilet seeing as its far from stevenage town centre and serves food in its cafe.