M&S to close busy Simply Food store on August 22 – ‘huge disappointment’

A popular Marks and Spencer in a bustling village is to shut in days – to the “huge disappointment” of residents.

M&S’s Simply Food store has been a huge part of Banstead’s buzzing High Street, with independent retailers saying that it helps attract customers to the busy village centre.

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But the beloved shop is closing on Saturday, August 22, with residents describing it as “really sad” and concerning for the village as a whole.

It comes just a few weeks after the popular Coughlans Bakery, part-owned by comedian Romesh Ranganathan, closed its store further up Banstead High Street after going into administration. It has contributed to a row of eyesore empty shop units.

However, M&S has suggested its exit from the village could be temporary, as it is “keen to find a new, bigger location in Banstead”.

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Lynne Francis, who has lived in Banstead for 48 years, said the loss of M&S will be a “huge disappointment for people living around here”.

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The 71-year-old added: “That end of the high street, I imagine, will become quite quiet. That’s the biggest shop down there. It’s really sad.”

Joanna Robinson, who helps run women’s clothing store Agenda across the road, added: “Losing M&S will impact the elderly, which is a shame. A lot of older people’s homes are at that end, and they all congregate down there.

“Twenty years ago, it was completely different. We had lots of independent shops. A lot are closing now because the rents are going up. It’s not like it used to be.”

Despite the closure, Banstead retains a strong village centre of more than 100 national and local retailers, including more than 50 independent shops.

Its success stories include The Butcher’s Block, which serves 700-800 customers a week with queues out of the door at weekends. It also boasts a Waitrose, which is much valued by residents.

Ms Robinson added: “It’s got lots of coffee shops and restaurants. Having Waitrose is really good.”

Paul Everest, manager of wine merchant Vintners, said: “Waitrose is really important to the overall high street. M&S is also important, but they’re shutting down.

“If they’re bringing customers to the high street, hopefully they’ll branch out a bit. I think that’s why it’s successful.”

Of the M&S closure, the 50-year-old added: “It depends what takes over that unit. Of everyone we’ve spoken to on the high street, we hope it’s a restaurant offering something not already on the high street.

“We wouldn’t want a fast food place, that’s a big no-no along here. We also wouldn’t want another coffee shop or barbers.”

M&S has announced a series of closures this year, including the busy M&S Foodhall in Streatham High Road, a vibrant part of London.

Residents described the Streatham closure as “heartbreaking” and launched a petition to save the “essential anchor for our community”, but it will shut on Saturday, August 15.

The retailer is also closing 14 in-store cafés across the country in 2026 – yet it is opening new stores in other locations at the same time, such as a 14,300sq ft M&S Food at Wembley Park.

New food stores at Bell Green Retail Park, in Sydenham, and at The Elephant Development, in Elephant and Castle, are set to open later this year. M&S also recently transformed its flagship Oxford Street store in London and opened units at Tooting Broadway and Tottenham Court Road.

A spokesperson for M&S said: “Our UK-wide store rotation programme is all about offering the very best of M&S for our customers. In the past year, we have invested across Surrey, with recent openings at Farnham and Godalming, and we are keen to find a new, bigger location in Banstead.

“In the meantime, our existing store will close on Saturday, August 22, and I'd like to thank all of our customers who have shopped with us. We will continue working hard to serve them at our nearby Epsom, Sutton and Reigate stores."