Signs showing M&S foodhall opening at town’s retail park

The foodhall at Fairacres Retail Park is expected to open later this month and contractors said they hoped it would open by April 27.

Building work is continuing outside the former Homebase retail unit, and new white signs showing the ‘M&S Abingdon’ logo have gone up for the first time, after the Homebase signs were removed.

READ MORE: M&S foodhall opening date

The retail site spans more than 18,000 sq ft and the foodhall comes as part of the M&S “rotation and renewal programme”.

The new store will create 75 jobs and recruitment is now under way.

New M&S signs outside a foodhall in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

According to M&S, the new foodhall will offer the best of M&S Food, including fresh produce from Select Farms, everyday essentials from M&S’ Remarkable Value and Bigger Pack Better Value ranges, a hot chicken counter and an in-store bakery.

A dedicated click and collect point will also allow customers to easily pick up their fashion, home and beauty online orders.

The opening of the store will be “a big step forward for the town as a whole,” town councillor Oliver Forder said earlier.

M&S staff (Image: M&S)

DIY store Homebase closed at Fairacres in February last year.

It had opened in a new unit at the retail park in 2021 where Costa Coffee and Lidl can also be found.

Paddy Sunderland, store manager at M&S Abingdon, said: “We’re so excited to open the doors of our brand-new food store in Abingdon this spring – customers don’t have long to wait.

“In the meantime, we’re thrilled to be building a team of exceptional colleagues at the store, who will help deliver the best possible shopping experience for our customers.”

Shoppers have welcomed the arrival of the new foodhall, as it will save them a journey to Didcot or Oxford.