Store closures LIVE: 13 shops to be axed in January including Co-op and Boots

Marks and Spencer has announced plans to close its branch in Sunderland city centre after decades.

The supermarket and high street retailer claimed it was closing its High Street West city centre branch because of a change in shopping habits.

It’s believed that those working at the Sunderland branch will be offered alternative roles at other Marks and Spencer locations if the closure goes ahead.

Currently, an exact date for the potential closure has not been confirmed, however, the store will continue trading until the new Washington Galleries store is ready to open.

A statement from M&S regional manager Philip Barker-Thomson confirmed: “We appreciate that this will be disappointing news for some.

“Rotating our store estate involves closing some stores, but it also means investing in opening new stores, including our upcoming new, bigger M&S store nearby in the Galleries Retail Park in Washington.

“The new 47,000 sqft store is part of a £13million investment by M&S in our stores in the North East and will offer local customers a wider range of M&S products than ever before across a new Clothing & Home department and a bigger Foodhall.

“Our priority now is to talk to our colleagues about what this announcement means for them. Under these proposals, the Sunderland store will also continue trading until the new Washington Galleries store is ready to open.”