The British department store chain, Marks & Spencer, plans to return to Spain after abandoning the Spanish market nearly 14 years ago, following the sale of their stores to El Corte Inglés. The company has included Spain as a priority market in its international development plan, and intends to have a significant presence in Madrid and Barcelona, by opening large department stores in both these Spanish cities.
El Mundo reported that M & S officials have said they want to repeat the strategy developed in France, Holland and Belgium, where the group is opening large department stores complemented by smaller food franchises and online sales.
The M & S group is looking for store premises in the main shopping districts of both cities which could mean the return of the M & S brand to some of the streets that it left in 2001, such as Serrano in the Spanish capital and Plaza de Cataluña in Barcelona city.
After ceasing to operate in Spain in 2001, with the closure of nine stores located in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Bilbao and Seville, the chain remained operational in the Canary Islands and then in 2009 returned to the peninsula, with a franchise in the La Cañada shopping centre in Marbella (Málaga), strengthened in February last year with the launch of their Spanish online shop.
The department stores may reach a capacity of more than five thousand square metres, depending on the locations available, and the company is also seeking a local partner to open franchises of its food products in both cities.
The management of M & S analysed the possibility of reopening establishments in Spain for several years and, in 2011, the British press speculated on the possibility that the chain would buy back some of the stores transferred to El Corte Inglés. However, the economic crisis and the drop in consumption delayed the company’s plans to return to Spain.
In total, the company plans to open 250 new stores and franchises outside of the UK in three years.