The much anticipated flagship M&S store at Cheshire Oaks was declared open today (29 August) by Plan A Ambassador Joanna Lumley, M&S CEO Marc Bolland and store manager Hilary Wilkinson.
The long awaited 151,000 sq ft store, which has taken three years and 550,000 man-hours to build, encapsulates the very best that M&S has to offer and is the largest M&S store outside of London. The store opened to an eager crowd of shoppers keen to get their very first glimpse inside.
Hundreds of people joined the queue for the launch of the new store, arriving as early as 8am to get the first glimpse of Joanna Lumley and Marc Bolland cut the ribbon. Marc Bolland was the first person at Cheshire Oaks to embrace the new Shwopping initiative, shwopping his very first M&S suit, which he bought when he landed the top job at M&S, in favour of a new sustainable suit.
Shoppers Maureen Scott and Karen Couchman were amongst the hoard of customers in-store on launch day. Maureen said: “The store is very spacious and bright and really has the wow factor. I am very impressed with both the store itself and all the fashion ranges it has inside.”
Karen added:”I am really bowled over by the Food hall, which looks fantastic. The new Deli counter is a real highlight - the challenge will be what to try first.”
Marc Bolland, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer, said: "We've been working hard over the past 18 months to deliver a more inspirational shopping environment for our customers. We've developed better navigation, clearly defined our sub brands, we've made it easier to 'shop the shop', developed new Home and Beauty concepts and have a new look Food hall to better demonstrate the freshness and specialty of our food. We've achieved this by using new technology and a much more interactive shopping experience so that customers can 'shop their way'. Cheshire Oaks is a special store as it is all here, under one roof for the first time - the very best of M&S.
"This is also our greenest ever M&S store and we call it a 'sustainable learning store' as around 60 per cent of the eco features featured in Cheshire Oaks will become standard spec for M&S stores."
Store manager, Hilary Wilkinson, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to have finally opened the store today, and the reaction from customers so far has been fantastic.
“With a long building process, which has involved so many members of the local community, we expected to see lots of people at the opening, however we've been overwhelmed with the number of people who came from far and wide to see Joanna and Marc help us to open the store.
“It has been wonderful to see shoppers explore everything the store has to offer and we look forward to welcoming them back in the months and years to come.”
Cheshire Oaks is one of M&S' greenest stores, built with the latest in sustainable building technologies and practices.
Joanna Lumley was on hand to encourage customers to “Shwop”. In partnership with Oxfam, shwopping is M&S' free clothes recycling initiative which aims to create a ‘buy one, give one' culture on the UK high street and help reduce the 500,000 tonnes of clothing that go to landfill every year.
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More details on M&S Cheshire Oaks' key store features:
- Womenswear: A wide selection of the latest women's fashions across clothing, accessories and footwear from brands such as per una, Autograph and Limited. Each M&S brand of clothing is clearly segmented in store, with distinct identities that allow customers to see which brand best meets their personal style preferences.
- Menswear: Cheshire Oaks is one of only 20 stores to offer the brand new Savile Row Inspired collection alongside brands such as Blue Harbour, Autograph, Collezione and North Coast.
- Kidswear: At 8,200 sq ft, the Kidswear department is one of the largest in any M&S store, catering for newborns through to teenagers and offering a wide range of Schoolwear ready for the start of the new term.
- Food: The store's Food hall showcases the quality and freshness of M&S food. A Deli Counter with 110 new and exclusive lines including carved meats, pasta sauces, raw and cooked meats, cheeses, salads and fish is available for customers looking for something special for their meals. The Bakery provides bread freshly baked on-site every day.
- M&S Café: As well as a great place to shop, M&S Cheshire Oaks has two M&S Cafés, providing seating for 430 people. Serving delicious, freshly-made dishes using the finest M&S ingredients, it is a destination for customers looking to have a break during their shop and enjoy the store's views. The Cafés offer Fairtrade tea and coffee, cakes and pastries and an extensive selection of sandwiches and hot food.
Redefining shopping via cutting-edge multi-channel innovations
Cheshire Oaks is the first M&S store to make extensive use of all the latest technology and innovations in multi-channel to create an enhanced, more convenient and inspirational customer shopping experience, including:
- High-definition display screens located throughout the store aim to inspire customers by showcasing the latest looks or offers;
- 12 Browse and Order screens allow customers to order from the entire M&S catalogue in-store and have it delivered to any M&S store for free, or to a postal address for a delivery charge;
- Customer assistants equipped with iPads who can help customers find items or help place orders;
- First-to-market technology such as the ‘Virtual Makeover' counter and ‘Duvet and Pillow Selector' that help customers choose a look for an item that suits their personal requirements;
- QR codes located on decor inside and outside of the store, which help customers connect and discover more about M&S product ranges and the store – from customer product reviews to Food to Order entertaining menus to the various eco-features. This is supported by free customer Wi-Fi.
New Homeware department
The Homeware department at Cheshire Oaks debuts for the first time a new look, large format offer, which creates an inspirational environment to browse and shop for products for the home.
Using cutting-edge technology alongside new display and signage concepts, customers are able to seamlessly browse the latest M&S ranges to create a living room, kitchen or bathroom that suits them, including:
- 70” display screens that showcase key design themes from M&S collections – Clerkenwell, Caravan, Kensington, Conran and Marcel Wanders;
- iPads and 32” interactive browsing screens that let customers easily peruse the entire catalogue;
- Enhanced product presentation that use signage, product samples and displays to educate customers on how to choose the best product for them as well as tell a product's story and provenance, helping to inform customers and letting them choose items and furnishings that fit their personal style;
- In a first to market, the new duvet and pillow selector that help customers achieve a ‘perfect night's sleep' by tailoring recommendations based on answers to on-screen questions.
Once inspired and informed, customers can then order products via 32” interactive Browse and Order Hubs or with iPad-equipped customer assistants.
M&S Beauty
Cheshire Oaks showcases M&S' new Beauty offer. Customers can shop from an extensive range of M&S' own-brand products, including its new natural and eco-friendly bodycare range called Pure. The store will also be one of the first to carry some of the world's leading and exclusive beauty brands such as Nuxe (France), Murad (USA) and Monotheme (Italy), all of which have been handpicked by M&S experts.
The new Beauty offer is enhanced by the use of ground-breaking technology to help inspire and inform customers on a beauty look that best suits them. The ‘Virtual Makeover' counter uses exclusive software to let customers experience different make up looks and skin consultations ‘virtually', either from a photo or a model.
For further information, please contact:
Elizabeth Murphy Beattie Communications 0161 212 1755 / 07821 781 733
Notes to Editors:
*To scan the code, download a QR reader from your app store. A charge may be applied by your network provider.
Store Address: Cheshire Oaks
Longlooms Road
Cheshire Oaks
Ellesmere Port
The Wirral
CH65 9JN
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 09:00am -10:00pm
Saturday 09:00am -10:00pm
Sunday 11:00am - 5:00pm
Store opening hours are subject to change at peak trading periods, please see website for details (http://www.marksandspencer.com/).
Floor plan –
- Ground: Food Hall, Bakery, Deli & Pasta Bar, M&S Cafe, Womenswear, Lingerie, Beauty, Giftware
- 1st Floor: Menswear, Home, Kidswear, M&S Café , Bureau de Change
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