Marks and Spencer Putney will open next Wednesday, 25 February, five weeks ahead of schedule. Workers have been racing through the night this week to finish the store that has sat empty for nearly eight years.
Just last week, the opening date was confirmed as 1 April, just a few days before “Putney Christmas” – the Boat Race. Something has changed. Lights have been on late into the evening, and the pace of activity inside has visibly accelerated.
The store at 59 Putney High Street closed in April 2018 after 91 years of trading. It became a symbol of the High Street’s decline, its boarded-up windows visible to everyone passing through central Putney. Community campaigns pushed for its return, and last April M&S confirmed it would reopen as part of a £90 million investment in London stores.
The new Food Hall format replaces the old department store. The Art Deco facade has been restored, with the original “Marks & Spencer Ltd” lettering preserved. Scaffolding came down in November, revealing the building as it looked when it first opened in 1931.
The early opening gives M&S five weeks to settle in before Boat Race Day on 4 April, ready when the crowds arrive.
The High Street recovery story remains mixed. WH Smith in Putney station has closed, with tear-out work currently visible – it’s clear whether it’s refurb or if the newsagent has upped sticks. But the M&S opening is the biggest single boost to confidence in years. A hotel is under construction nearby. Empty units are still clustered at both ends of the High Street, but the centre is strengthening.
Eight years is a long time to wait. The return happens next week.
Correction, 8.30am: The 25th February is a Wednesday, not a Tuesday as we incorrectly stated in an earlier version of this story.
Thanks for the update. 25 Feb is a Wednesday
Shame its not doing clothes as well on the upper floors!