Marks and Spencer opens at 59 Putney High Street this morning, nearly eight years after its closure made it the most visible symbol of the High Street’s decline.
The store was originally due to open on 1 April. It has been brought forward by five weeks. In the days leading up to today, workers were visible inside well past 10pm, racing to meet the new date. Go and have a look.
The building closed in April 2018. For years after, it sat boarded and empty, used for a rave during the pandemic, then wrapped in scaffolding, its Art Deco facade hidden from view. When the scaffolding finally came down last November, the restored frontage marked the clearest sign yet that the wait was nearly over. Now it is.
The store opens today as a Food Hall. According to the M&S website, the Putney store will also carry some menswear and womenswear (the M&S Collection lines), though M&S has not made a formal announcement about the clothing offer. The full services listed on the M&S website include a bakery, flowers and plants, free Wi-Fi, fitting rooms, and wine ordering.
Opening hours today are 8am to 9pm. From tomorrow, the store opens at 7am, closing at 9pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.
Tell us what you think. Been in today?
