For nearly a century, Marks & Spencer stood as a cornerstone of Putney High Street—until its sudden closure in 2018 left behind more than just an empty building. In the years that followed, the once-thriving retail space became a boarded-up reminder of the area’s wider decline, as vacancy rates soared and footfall wavered.
This in-depth look traces the history of the M&S store, the reasons behind its departure, the community’s growing frustration, and how its long-awaited return in 2025 could signal a turning point—not just for a single shop, but for the future of Putney’s struggling high street.
A High Street Fixture – Then an Unexpected Farewell (2018)
Marks & Spencer’s Putney High Street store had been a local fixture for decades – in fact, it first opened in 1931 and traded on the same site for 91 years. The store became an anchor of Putney’s shopping district, offering both clothing and food. In early 2018, however, shoppers were stunned to learn that M&S would be closing its Putney branch as part of a nationwide restructuring. The final day of trading was set for April 7, 2018.
All 62 staff members were to be relocated to nearby M&S stores, such as those in Southfields, Fulham, and Barnes. The closure marked the end of an era on Putney High Street and left residents worried about the void it would create.
Why M&S Closed: Official Reasons and Wider Strategy
M&S management framed the Putney closure as a necessary step in a “programme to modernise its UK store estate” amid changing customer habits.
Sacha Berendji, M&S’s Director of Retail, explained at the time: “Stores will always be an integral part of our customer experience… but we have to ensure we have the right offer in the right locations. We believe these changes are vital for the future of M&S and we will continue to… take tough but necessary decisions”.
In May 2018, M&S had unveiled a radical plan to close over 100 shops by 2022, essentially retreating from weaker-performing high streets to focus on more viable locations. Putney was one of the first casualties of this plan – listed among the clothing & home branches already shut by 2018.
The “difficult trading conditions” in Putney were cited as a factor, suggesting that the store was underperforming in an era when online shopping and out-of-town retail were on the rise. Unofficially, local factors like high rents and business rates may have contributed; the area’s footfall had been stagnating and business costs were climbing, making it hard for big retailers to justify their High Street presence.
An Empty Landmark: From Busy Store to Boarded “Eyesore”
The former Marks & Spencer storefront on Putney High Street sat vacant for years, its windows papered over and its once-bustling entrance now quiet. The local business improvement district (BID) even added a decorative “PUTNEY” sign to brighten the forlorn façade. This prominent empty building became a symbol of the high street’s struggles.
Once M&S closed its doors, the large building at 59 Putney High Street became an immediate void on the streetscape. Passersby saw shuttered windows often plastered with outdated posters and notices – a stark contrast to the lively displays of the past.
Over time, the site deteriorated in appearance and remained completely unused. It emerged that Marks & Spencer still held the lease on the property and would until 2028, and had refused to allow any subletting of the premises.
In practice, this meant the huge retail unit would deliberately sit empty. The rationale was likely to prevent competitors from moving in, but the outcome was a prominent dead zone on Putney’s prime shopping street and cited as an example of “land banking” – preventing potential competitors from taking over the prime location.
During the Covid lockdowns, the forlorn site even attracted unwanted attention – there were reports of trespassers and an illicit “lockdown party” inside the vacant store, underscoring the security and nuisance issues that can arise from long-term emptiness (a point frequently raised in community forums and by local police).
Overall, the shuttered M&S stood as a symbol of decline, visibly illustrating the wider pattern of shop closures blighting the high street.
Community Outcry and “Save The High Street” Campaigns
The loss of Marks & Spencer struck a nerve in Putney. Long-time residents and shoppers voiced anger and sadness that a beloved store had been taken away. As months turned to years and the site stayed vacant, frustration in the community only grew. By 2020–2021, Putney High Street was dotted with empty units, and M&S’s hulking unused shell was the most high-profile example.
Local campaigners began to rally around the issue of vacant shops. In 2022, a Save The High Street local campaign was launched, and a petition carried out. Local residents, councillors, and community groups met in January 2023 to discuss concerns about empty shops and takeaways on Putney High Street, sharing insights, survey findings, and ideas for revitalisation.
The most significant result of the campaign came as part of a community coronation event, when children painted giant wooden letters spelling “Putney,” which were displayed with flowers outside the former M&S store to brighten the High Street. The display was refreshed in March 2025. The group has since moved to a WhatsApp group that remains active with nearly 350 members.
Then in 2024, Putney resident and journalist Kieren McCarthy launched the “Save The High Street” initiative in 2024 to tackle the blight of empty storefronts*. McCarthy pointed out that “the most common kind of shop on Putney High Street is actually a closed one”, noting an “incredible 22 shops” stood closed as of mid-2024. He argued:
“Our political representatives keep pointing at the problem but do nothing to fix it. Yes, it’s complex, but it’s also fixable given sufficient effort and creativity.”
His campaign sought creative solutions – for example, negotiating “meanwhile use” leases to let local entrepreneurs or community groups temporarily occupy empty units. The shuttered M&S was frequently cited in these conversations.
Everyone agreed that M&S’s absence left a hole in Putney’s retail mix – even the local Business Improvement District (Positively Putney) remarked that “the Marks and Spencer site… [is] still paying rent on the vacant site… Everyone agrees they are sorely missed”. Petitions were signed and local forums buzzed with nostalgia for the old store and ideas for revival. In the eyes of many residents, reversing Putney’s high street fortunes became a rallying cause – and a reopened M&S was often mentioned as a top wish-list item.
Marks & Spencer’s U-Turn: A 2025 Reopening Plan
After nearly seven years of emptiness, 2025 brought the news Putney had been waiting for. Marks & Spencer confirmed plans to return to Putney High Street as part of a major new investment drive.
In April 2025, the retailer announced a £90 million investment in its London stores, including opening six new Food Halls – one of which will be in Putney. Reports indicate that M&S intends to reoccupy its original premises at 59 Putney High Street, the same building it vacated in 2018.
Planning permission is being sought, but expectations are high that the store will reopen on that site, bringing it back to life. This marks a dramatic U-turn in M&S’s strategy – effectively undoing part of the 2018 retreat.
However, the reopened Putney M&S will look different than the old one. Instead of a full-range department store, it is slated to be a food hall-format store, focusing mainly on groceries and everyday essentials . (The original Putney M&S had sold clothing and homewares in addition to food.)
This shift aligns with M&S’s broader strategy of concentrating on food retail in certain locations, as their food halls have proven resilient and popular even when the clothing business faltered. Company representatives frame the move as seizing an opportunity: “London has always been special for M&S… Our pipeline of stores demonstrates our continued investment in London,” said Sacha Berendji, M&S’s Operations Director, in reference to the new openings.
He noted that M&S is focusing on having “the right stores in the right places” – a sign that Putney is now seen as the right place once again. The new Putney food hall, once open, is expected to create jobs and restore a key service for locals who have lacked a large M&S for years.
Reinvestment and Revitalization: The Bigger Picture
M&S’s decision to reinvest in Putney comes as part of a broader transformation of its store estate. The £90 million London plan will deliver 17 new or revamped stores across the capital.
Alongside Putney, new M&S food halls are slated for Clapham, Covent Garden, Fulham Broadway, New Malden, and Leytonstone, while 11 existing London stores will be refurbished. This follows other regional investments (such as £50 million in the North West) as M&S reshapes its footprint.
The strategy behind these moves is to pivot toward high-performing formats and locations: typically, food-oriented stores in busy neighbourhoods, and fewer large clothing stores in areas where sales have moved online. Over the past decade, M&S had shuttered several London stores (for example, its Covent Garden branch closed around the same time as Putney, and more recently a large store in Marble Arch has been slated for redevelopment).
Now, with consumer shopping patterns stabilizing post-pandemic, M&S is selectively re-entering markets that it previously exited – Putney being a prime example of this turnaround. Retail analysts note that this reflects a “store rotation” strategy, where M&S closes underperforming sites but later opens new-format stores in locations where it sees renewed potential.
In Putney’s case, the years of data showing strong food sales and an underserved customer base likely convinced M&S that a modern food hall could thrive. It’s a sign that, while the UK high street has been challenging, major retailers are not giving up on brick-and-mortar presence – they are just reinventing it.
The High Street in Context: Putney vs. Other SW London Neighbours
Putney’s high street struggles have not occurred in isolation. Across southwest London, different town centres have experienced mixed fortunes in recent years. Putney saw a spike in vacant shops by the early 2020s, with roughly 13% of storefronts empty in 2023 (40 units) – an improvement from 14% in 2022, but still elevated.
At one point in 2022, 23 shops on Putney High Street were vacant (including some inside the Putney Exchange mall). This vacancy rate outpaced that of Clapham Junction, a nearby commercial hub which had about 9% vacancy in 2023 (28 empty units). Wandsworth Town Centre (around Wandsworth High Street and the Southside centre) was worse off, with a 17% vacancy rate in 2023, though it had improved from a concerning 23% the year before.
Farther afield, Richmond – often cited as a thriving suburban high street – had a vacancy rate around 13.9% in 2022, comparable to Putney’s, but Richmond benefits from a richer retail mix and stronger destination appeal (its footfall and spending levels are high for a outer-London town).
Meanwhile, Kingston has been a standout performer; in 2024 it was ranked the “No. 1 large town retail centre” in the UK by a retail vitality index , reflecting low vacancy and a robust range of shops.
These comparisons suggest that Putney has been under-achieving relative to its potential – especially given its affluent population and location. The problems cited include a proliferation of less-attractive uses (fast food outlets and estate agents filled many gaps, with 16 fast food shops and 14 estate agencies counted on Putney High Street ) and the lingering impact of infrastructure issues like the Hammersmith Bridge closure since 2019, which cut off some visitor flow.
On a positive note, data from late 2022 showed Putney’s footfall had rebounded to pre-pandemic levels and local retail spending was about 10% higher than in 2019. This resilience in foot traffic and spending, even amid many empty units, hints that the demand is there if stores are there to serve it.
What the M&S Reopening Means for Putney
The impending return of Marks & Spencer is being hailed as a major boost for Putney’s high street recovery. Local business leaders expect that a new M&S food hall will draw shoppers back into the town centre, increase footfall, and even inspire confidence for other retailers to invest.
An M&S acts as an anchor store, and its absence was acutely felt – as one survey found, M&S was one of the most-missed brands by Putney residents. Reopening it not only fills a prominent vacancy (instantly improving the street’s look and feel), but also signals that Putney is worth betting on.
The community campaigners see it as a victory for local voices: after years of pressure – from petitions to council meetings – their high street is getting a second chance. Councillors and the Putney BID have welcomed the news.
Of course, practical challenges remain. M&S’s plan is subject to planning approval and the refit of the old building will take time, meaning the store might not actually open its doors until later in 2025 or early 2026. And once it does, it will need sustained support to succeed (competition in grocery retail is fierce).
Nonetheless, the overall sentiment in Putney is optimistic. After being a case study in high street decline, Putney could now become a story of regeneration – with a rejuvenated Marks & Spencer as the keystone.
As the Save Putney High Street campaign put it, revitalizing a high street “requires careful attention, business savvy, and a creative, concerted effort” – the M&S comeback may well be the catalyst that sparks that effort, rallying both the community and businesses to finally turn the tide.
In the bigger picture, Putney’s experience illustrates the ebb and flow of Britain’s retail landscape: even after dark times of boarded-up shops, a well-loved high street can find new life when stakeholders commit to its revival.
M&S’s reopening is more than just a store launch – it’s a symbol of Putney’s resilience and a hopeful bellwether for the recovery of the local high street.
Sources
- Marks & Spencer press statements and news coverage of the 2018 closure and 2025 reopening
- Local news and community websites (PutneySW15, FulhamSW6) for detailed accounts of the closure impact and campaign responses
- Statements from M&S executives and local figures, including Sacha Berendji (M&S)
- Putney Business Improvement District (“Positively Putney”) reports on footfall, vacancies and resident surveys
- “Save The High Street” campaign materials and commentary, highlighting the community’s perspective on the high street’s condition.
Notes
Kieren McCarthy, cited as a source of local efforts to revive Putney High Street is also the editor of Putney.news.
