Hammerson has announced that a brand new 35,000 sq ft Marks & Spencer store has officially opened its doors in Merthyr Tydfil, in the Cyfarthfa Retail Park.
The full line store offers consumers the renowned Marks & Spencer ranges, including Limited Edition, Per Una and North coast, plus an 8,000 sq Food hall and a 94-sear M&S Café that serves both hot and cold dishes. Other services for customers to enjoy include Shop Your Way, which provides the option to order directly from the M&S catalogue in-store or online, with free next day delivery and in-store collection.
As part of Hammerson’s £30 million extension at Cyfarthfa, Next, which is already an established retailer on the park with its 10,000 sq ft fashion only store, has now moved to a substantially larger unit, which will now allow it to offer the full homeware and fashion range. This new store is due to be opened just in time for the bustling Christmas period on December 3rd.
The introduction of the two new anchor stores is a great representative of the amount of inward investment that Merthyr Tydfil has seen in recent years, which supports the overall regeneration of the retail park and growing its presence in the town as a retail and leisure hub.
Director of UK Retail at Hammerson, Andrew Berger- North, commented: “The opening of a full line Marks & Spencer today, soon to be joined by a bigger, better Next at Merthyr Tydfil, demonstrates our confidence in the local area and represents an important milestone in the extension and reinvigoration of Cyfarthfa Retail Park.
“We have worked hard to make the scheme an easy, convenient and family friendly retail experience for our customers, by providing a great mix of retailers, best-in-class customer service and plenty of easily accessible car parking spaces, all of which support Merthyr Tydfil’s growing role as a key retail destination.”
Store Manager for M&S Tydfil, said: “The opening of our store has been eagerly awaited, so it’s a real thrill to have finally opened our doors and welcomed customers inside.”
Hammerson worked in partnership with the local council, key contractors including BAM and tenants such as M&S during construction to support hundreds of local people into work. Over 230 local residents have benefited from this venture and gained access to training and employment opportunities.
Councillor Brendan Toomey, Leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, added: “This is a fantastic achievement for Merthyr Tydfil after many years of negotiations between the Council, M&S and the Welsh Government.
“The people of Merthyr Tydfil have been asking for an M&S store to be opened in the area for many, many years and this is a wonderful opportunity for the area and for local employment.”
