Marks & Spencer closure - shoppers react

The Bolton News reported yesterday that the Deansgate store will close as part of a shake-up of the business.

M&S regional manager Ben Heaps said: “Shopping habits are changing, so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores to offer customers a brilliant shopping experience.

Read more: 'Disappointing for some' as town centre Marks & Spencer to shut its doors

“As part of this transformation, we have today announced to colleagues our proposal to close our M&S Bolton store at 35 Deansgate.”

Marks & Spencer on Deansgate in Bolton (Image: Newsquest)

Paul Davies, aged 71, from Farnworth, said: “Well it’s all online isn’t it now, they want shopping online.

“Well I use this (M&S) quite regularly. I live in Farnworth and get the bus to shop here.

“There’s none closer to me. For me it’s a bit of an annoyance, I’ll have to go somewhere else.

“I don’t agree with it, I don’t see why they can’t keep it open.”

He added: “I don’t think shops are as busy now, shops seem to not have a lot of use.

“They want everyone to go online, I’m not online myself so it’s of no use to me.”

Carole Siclona, aged 73, travels into Bolton from Clifton for Marks and Spencers. She said: “It’s terrible because I use it a lot.

Paul Davies, aged 71, from Farnworth, thinks the increase in online shopping nowadays has contributed to high street shop closures (Image: Newsquest)

“I use M&S every week and I come into Bolton. I’ll really miss it.

“I come from Clifton. I go here or I go to Manchester.

“There’s not much in Bolton town centre anyway, they seem to be closing most things.”

She continued: “A while ago there was a notice on the back of the town hall saying there would be regeneration.

“All there seems to be is closing things down, but they don’t seem to be rebuilding anything.

“My son lives up here, he misses the shops that used to be here. There was BHS, they shut that down, there’s been other ones too.

“There used to be more on Bradshawgate, it shows Bolton up now doesn’t it.”

Carole Siclona travels to Bolton for the M&S weekly from Clifton (Image: Newsquest)

Raymond Fogg, aged 68, from Halliwell, said: “I think it’s terrible, because it’s a popular shop. One of the last we’ve got in Bolton.

“I think it’s bad, everything could do with coming back, there are no shops in Bolton are there.

“I think after the epidemic they all had to close down, the government are helping them the best they can but there’s not enough help.”

Connie Greenhalgh, aged 77, from Bolton, said: “It’s like everybody else says, there will be nothing left eventually.

“My husband comes in here every morning, there are things you can only get in Marks.

Raymond Fogg said it was 'terrible' that the shop was closing down (Image: Newsquest)

“If you have no car, you’ll have to rely on buses to get you to Middlebrook.

“Once this goes, half of the other shops will close down too because the footfall will be worse than it already is.”

The news comes as part of the five-year plan which the retailer has told investors involves aiming to have 180 “full-line shops” down from the current 247 by early 2028, targeting “lower productivity” outlets.

In that same time, it plans to open an additional 104 Simply Food outlets as the retailer moves towards groceries over large clothing and homeware stores.