Marks and spencer Swansea

[cmajack]

Closing down, that's a body blow for the city. There really isn't much left to go into the city centre for . Our city centre is a very depressing place to shop these days.

 

[JackSomething]

Closing down, that's a body blow for the city. There really isn't much left to go into the city centre for . Our city centre is a very depressing place to shop these days.

Was a surprise when I heard that earlier, although I guess it makes sense. Not exactly the most popular store among the younger generations I would have thought and not a great place for a food shop given it's location. I see M&S suggested the cost of maintaining the building as being a big factor in the decision also. Wouldn't surprise me to see them open up in a retail park, like Next at Morfa.

It will accelerate the already existing development of the city centre as a leisure destination rather than a shopping one. I would think the idea of a trip to a city centre for shopping purposes will die out in all but the biggest cities in the coming years. Depressing, but no stopping change and all that.

 

[Stopthebus]

Was a surprise when I heard that earlier, although I guess it makes sense. Not exactly the most popular store among the younger generations I would have thought and not a great place for a food shop given it's location. I see M&S suggested the cost of maintaining the building as being a big factor in the decision also. Wouldn't surprise me to see them open up in a retail park, like Next at Morfa.

It will accelerate the already existing development of the city centre as a leisure destination rather than a shopping one. I would think the idea of a trip to a city centre for shopping purposes will die out in all but the biggest cities in the coming years. Depressing, but no stopping change and all that.

Cardiff is on a different level. The St David’s Development 15 years ago has absolutely transformed the city centre. £4 per hour to park in St David’s & almost guaranteed to be full by lunchtime on a Saturday.

Swansea looks like a third world city in comparison

 

[J_B]

They have a store and a food store at Fforestfach.
Don't wear their clothes despite being their target generation but M&S food is excellent.

 

[ThurrockJack]

Was a surprise when I heard that earlier, although I guess it makes sense. Not exactly the most popular store among the younger generations I would have thought and not a great place for a food shop given it's location. I see M&S suggested the cost of maintaining the building as being a big factor in the decision also. Wouldn't surprise me to see them open up in a retail park, like Next at Morfa.

It will accelerate the already existing development of the city centre as a leisure destination rather than a shopping one. I would think the idea of a trip to a city centre for shopping purposes will die out in all but the biggest cities in the coming years. Depressing, but no stopping change and all that.

I agree, people want to get in and out for their shopping, so a heavily congested centre will always be on the back foot in this day and age. The issue Swansea has is that it's USPs are all away from the centre and most of the buildings make it a grim place to hang around in. If money was no object, I'd be tearing down everything built after 1945 and try to recreate everything that was lost in the blitz, like Gdansk and Wroclaw did. That would create a much more inviting space for the leisure economy.

 

[MrSwerve]

I don't know what the footfall is like in the Swansea one, but it's a bloody shame that the Neath one went. The food, particularly, was always quite busy. Saying that, with the A465 now completed, it doesn't take long to get to the Merthyr one. Probably quicker than Fforestfach from Neath.

I've said for a while that it wouldn't surprise me if they go food-only at some point in the future, or at least move all of their clothes online.

 

[Cooperman]

They have a store and a food store at Fforestfach.
Don't wear their clothes despite being their target generation but M&S food is excellent.

The most delicious range of Indian food outside of a restaurant.

 

[MrSwerve]

The most delicious range of Indian food outside of a restaurant.

I always have to stock-pile the Chicken Dhansak whenever it's available. Actually tastes like a restaurant one (or very close, at least).

 

[JackSomething]

Cardiff is on a different level. The St David’s Development 15 years ago has absolutely transformed the city centre. £4 per hour to park in St David’s & almost guaranteed to be full by lunchtime on a Saturday.

Swansea looks like a third world city in comparison

Swansea has an estimated population of 251k, Cardiff 362k.

If you include Neath and Port Talbot as part of the Swansea Urban area, it goes up to 300k, while including the wider urban area of Cardiff was 479k in 2011, so no doubt much higher now.

Approximately 4.6m people visited the city and county of Swansea in 2024, while Cardiff averages over 20m.

Comparing the two is pointless.

Even with all that, Cardiff city centre has gone downhill post-Covid and there are plenty more empty units or temporary pop-up tenants than there used to be.

 

[JackSomething]

They have a store and a food store at Fforestfach.
Don't wear their clothes despite being their target generation but M&S food is excellent.

Just a food store these days, the clothing store on the other side of the road closed years ago. Not arguing about their food, pricy but tasty.

 

[MrSwerve]

Just a food store these days, the clothing store on the other side of the road closed years ago. Not arguing about their food, pricy but tasty.

Honestly I’ve done a handful of weekly shops from Marks in the last 3 or 4 months and it’s really not that different to Tesco etc.

 

[JackSomething]

Honestly I’ve done a handful of weekly shops from Marks in the last 3 or 4 months and it’s really not that different to Tesco etc.

Interesting, I'll have to give it a try sometime. I usually only go in there to pick up something I can't get elsewhere or for something specific like party food, so don't really know their prices for an everyday shop.

 

[MrSwerve]

Interesting, I'll have to give it a try sometime. I usually only go in there to pick up something I can't get elsewhere or for something specific like party food, so don't really know their prices for an everyday shop.

Obviously if you go for all the pricey finest ready meals it can pile up, but in terms of fruit, veg, meat and the usual stuff, there’s not much in it at all. There’s a lot of price matching going on…they’re probably hoping that you go in there and also pick up something more expensive, but the quality is worth it IMO.