M&S, Compass roll out Simply Food stores
has prompted the company to extend the number of stores to 40 in
railway stations across the UK over the next three years.
A trial of three food-only Marks & Spencer stores at railway stations in London has proved so successful that the company is to extend the format to a further 40 stations across the UK.
M&S will operate the Simply Food stores in association with specialist retail catering company Select Service Partner (SSP), part of the world's largest food service company, Compass Group, and will roll out the new stores over the next three years.
The three trials stores are at Liverpool Street, Victoria and Marylebone stations in London, and have drawn on SSP's experience in station retailing and Marks & Spencer's innovative store experience and quality food produce. London will also be the venue for the fourth store - in Euston station - which will open in November, while the fifth outlet will be in Brighton station and will open in January.
Despite the chaos which often reigns on the UK's railways, M&S said that passenger growth was nonetheless expected to increase in the coming years - not least because the UK road system is even worse than the railways.
With the country's top 14 railways stations seeing some 650 million passengers pass through their doors every year, the potential for sales from on-station outlets is huge, and with M&S's reputation for offering food of a quality far higher than that usually associated with the British railway system, the company clearly sees this as "a real area of opportunity".
Justin King, Marks & Spencer's Food Director, said: "The Simply Food format was created to take our quality food offering to innovative and more convenient locations for our customers. Many major railway stations are now attractive city centre shopping destinations for commuters. The trial has been invaluable in allowing us to develop the right product range and to understand the shopping needs of commuters."
Don Davenport, chief executive officer of Compass Group UK & Ireland, agreed: "The extension of the franchise agreement with Marks & Spencer enables us to offer one of the best known High Street names in food retailing to deliver the widest choice of convenience food service for rail commuters. We are delighted that the trial stores have demonstrated the potential of developing new markets for Marks & Spencer through its partnership with SSP, drawing on the expertise of both companies."
