M&S opens one of its largest foodhalls in time for Christmas rush after major fit-out
M&S opens one of its largest foodhalls in time for Christmas rush after major fit-out
Wates has completed a major retail fit-out project doubling the size of Mark and Spencer’s foodhall at its London Colney store, making it one of the largest foodhalls in the retailer’s portfolio.
The sales floor has been reconfigured to relocate the existing foodhall to the front of the store. The expanded 32,000 sq ft space has made way for new tills and a range of new services, including new pizza oven, a Mai Sushi counter and a ‘Fill Your Own’ station to reduce plastic use.
New features also include a digital cafe that allows customers to order at the front of the restaurant. The project also saw the team relocate the opticians, add three sets of new fitting rooms and reconfigure the home, beauty and clothing sections to improve sightlines and enhance the store’s flow for customers.
The expansion project which began in June this year, forms part of M&S’s investment programme to diversify and transform its estate, including reinvigorated branding to give its stores a new look and feel.
At London Colney the team fast-tracked design and procurement while working to a 24/7 programme to ensure the expanded foodhall could be ready in time for the festive period.
Having worked for Marks and Spencer on over 50 of their projects under the Foodhall Framework, our team has developed an unmatched understanding of their vision for the store fit-out projects.
This positions us perfectly to deliver high quality projects efficiently, but it also enables us to overcome project challenges collaboratively. In partnership with M&S, we look at every detail of the projects and carefully consider ways to enhance customer journeys, and our team’s commitment to M&S’ retail experience is evident in the exceptional store we have helped to create here at London Colney.”
Scott Camp
Managing Director, Wates Smartspace
Wates engaged with a range of social enterprises to ensure reinvestment of project budget into local good causes. This included the recycling of 20 tonnes of wood through Community Wood Recycling.
Wates has worked with M&S since 2014 under its Foodhall Framework managing projects designed to bring theatre to the shopping experience with new illuminated signage, bespoke wall finishes, new fridge cases and local wall messages.
Recent work has included the new foodhall at M&S Bluewater in Dartford, which was delivered while maintaining trading for customers by creating a temporary retail space. So far this year the team has also created three new foodhalls at Finsbury Park, Newark and New Milton with a series of full line stores and new foodhalls at Battersea, Canary Wharf and Macclesfield.
