EXCITEMENT is building as Clacton's new M&S Foodhall gets ready to open its doors next week. 

The M&S store, in Brook Park West, a retail park just off the A133, will be an addition to the already existing supermarkets Lidl and Tesco. 

The 15,000 sq ft store will house a bakery, a wine shop and a low-price range, called ‘Remarksable’, offering essentials like bread, milk and meat. 

Clacton’s store is one of 20 stores to open this year. 

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

Store manager, Tim Norton, said: “We are excited to be sharing a sneak peek of the new Foodhall.

"We are really looking forward to welcoming the community to our new Clacton store when we open later this month.

"The new store is packed with so many exciting features that we can’t wait to share, so we’re really looking forward to finally opening the doors and let Clacton’s customers experience it for themselves.” 

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

The new shop is part of the brand's £500million investment plans which will see 3,400 new jobs created across the country.  

In total 50 new jobs will be created with the opening of the Clacton store. 

Stuart Machin, chief executive of M&S said: “Stores are a core part of M&S’s omni-channel future and serve as a competitive advantage for how customers want to shop today. 

“Our store rotation programme is about making sure we have the right stores, in the right place, with the right space and we’re aiming to rotate from the 247 stores we have today to 180 higher quality, higher productivity full line stores that sell our full clothing, home and food offer whilst also opening over 100 bigger, better food sites.” 

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

The closure of the Pier Avenue store in 2018 was described as a “devastating blow” for the town centre by traders.

The building was bought by Tendring Council for £3.1million the year before M&S closed, but a lease remains in place until 2027. The site is currently sub-let to discount chain One Below.

The retail giant closed its shop in the town as part of a programme to reshape its estate in the face of online competition and the opening of the Foodhall in Walton in 2019.

The M&S store will open on Tuesday, August 22.