Marks and Spencer has announced plans to open nine new shops in November - in what will be its biggest ever store opening month.

The first new 65,000 square foot branch will open this Tuesday (November 7) in the Birmingham Bullring shopping centre. M&S will then open at least one store every seven days throughout the month.

This includes two more full-line stores, three new M&S Foodhalls and three refurbished stores. It will see M&S invest £80million in sustainable bricks and mortar retail and support over 2,200 local jobs across the UK.

It comes as part of a wider restructure of its business where M&S looks to focus more on its food-only outlets by 2028. M&S last year revealed it would reduce the number of its full-line stores - which sell both food and clothing - to 180. However, it plans on opening more than 100 food-only shops.

M&S has already relocated to new stores in Leeds White Rose and Liverpool ONE in the summer. The supermarket has also opened a number of new Foodhalls this year, including in Purley Way, Stockport and Clacton. The new openings will bring investment in new stores to £480million, M&S said.

Sacha Berendji, Operations Director, said: “Stores are key to our business, and we see them as part of our competitive advantage. Increasing numbers of customers are heading back in to stores to experience the best of M&S all under one roof, supported by outstanding service from our colleagues, and we expect this to continue as we head into Christmas.

“To deliver our biggest ever store opening month which supports thousands of jobs is an outstanding effort from the team and shows just how serious we are about accelerating our rotation plans so we are in the right locations for our customers.”

Alongside store openings, M&S recently announced it is hiring over 10,000 new customer assistants to support for the busy Christmas period.

The three new full-line M&S stores opening this month are:

  • Birmingham - November 7
  • Lakeside - November 15
  • Trafford Centre - November 30

The three new M&S Foodhalls opening this month are:

  • Uckfield - November 8
  • Earlsfield - November 16
  • Barnsley - November 28

The three refurbished M&S stores reopening this month are:

  • Camberley - November 20
  • Handforth - November 23
  • Newcastle Foodhall - November 29