MARKS & SPENCER (M&S) is marking 115 years since the retailer first opened in Hereford, serving generations of customers from across the city and wider local area.

For over a century, M&S Hereford has marked its place in the city centre as a stalwart of the high street, and accompanied with a few makeovers over the years, remains a constant for thousands of local residents. 

Following a major extension in 2007, which saw the store gain an additional level to meet the demands of shoppers, M&S Hereford has seen significant investment in a store refresh only a few months ago.

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The new-look store now features a revamped clothing and home department and dedicated basement level food hall, offering a fresher, more vibrant shopping experience for customers. It has also gained a show-stopping new bakery, offering freshly baked bread, cakes and pastries, as well as a new dedicated M&S wine shop.

Hereford Times:

The store also maintains a tradition of supporting local charities and community groups. In Marks & Spencer’s centenary year of 1984, the team in Hereford donated an adventure playground to a local home for disabled children.

An example of individual colleague fundraising came from sales assistants Brenda Savory and Sheila Butcher, who in 1986 helped raise £4,000 for a local hospice.

Over the years. the M&S Hereford team has helped fundraise thousands of pounds for both local and national charities, and in recent years has also supported local community groups by donating over 115,000 meals, working with Neighbourly to prevent surplus food – the equivalent of over 160,000 tonnes of CO2 – from going to waste.

Hereford Times:

Oliver Cullum, Store Manager at M&S Hereford, said "Hereford is my hometown, and I know how important it is to local residents for retailers to support keeping Hereford High Town a vibrant place to shop.

"I've worked at M&S for over 18 years, starting as a customer assistant and returning as store manager in December 2021 so I really feel like I’ve been part of the story of our Hereford store, and I love that.

"From our big expansion in 2007, to our major renewal investment last year, we’ve always focused on making every shopper’s experience even better than before. I’m proud to have overseen our Hereford store’s progression over the last 18 years and look forward to seeing its success for years to come.”