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A leading UK retailer with over 1000 stores in the country has revealed it will be closing one of its city centre stores. M&S has announced it will close its branch in Newport city centre in June.

Staff at the M&S Foodhall in Friars Walk were notified of the news on April 7. This move comes as the store's lease will come to an end towards the end of June. A spokesperson for the company said the closure comes as "customer shopping habits are changing".

Staff will now enter consultation regarding possible future positions at alternative M&S locations, the firm has yet to confirm any details concerning redundancies at this point, WalesOnline reports.

Richard Owen, M&S regional manager, said: "Customer shopping habits are changing and as part of our UKwide store rotation programme we are continually reviewing our store estate to ensure we have the right stores in the right places, with the right space to deliver an excellent shopping experience.

"Following the recent expiry of our lease we have decided to close the M&S store in Newport Gwent at Friars Walk towards the end of June 2026."

Mr Owen added: "We understand this will be disappointing for some customers and colleagues. Our priority is to support our colleagues through this change, including exploring alternative roles at nearby M&S stores wherever possible. We will continue serving Newport customers through those nearby stores and online."

The beloved retailer, which has over 1,300 branches worldwide, was a key tenant when Friars Walk shopping centre opened on November 12, 2025.

The nearest M&S options for Newport shoppers will be the M&S store on Malpas Road, the M&S Foodhall at Newport Retail Park in Spytty and a sprawling flagship store in Cardiff city centre.

This marks the second setback for M&S in South Wales this year, after the company announced just a few weeks ago that its Swansea city centre store will soon close its doors for good.