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Marks and Spencer has announced the closure of one of its stores in Essex, due to the branch not having a "sustainable" future. The huge retailer confirmed that it has proposed to shut the M&S food hall located at Arthur Ransome Way, Walton-on-the-Naze.

It comes as UK high streets and shopping districts continue to see a wave of store closures due to financial challenges across the sector.

The official closing date of the Essex store has not yet been confirmed. However, M&S has confirmed that it will close various stores as part of its rotation programme, which also involves opening and investing in new stores.

Will Holden, regional manager at M&S, said: "Our UK-wide store rotation programme is about making sure every store we have delivers the best of M&S for customers. That means opening new stores, investing in others, but also sadly closing those stores which do not have a sustainable future.

"After careful consideration, we have made the tough decision to propose the closure of our Walton-on-the-Naze foodhall. I'd like to thank all of our customers who have shopped with us at the store, and our priority is now continuing conversations with our colleagues about what these proposals mean for them.

"In 2023, we opened our brand-new 15,500 sq ft Clacton Brook Park store, and if these proposals go ahead, we will continue working hard to serve customers from across the Tendring peninsula at the store."

In other M&S news, the company reopened its Martlesham Heath store on April 30, 2026, following a two-month transformation. The 13,000 sq ft store features a brand-new in-store bakery & coffee counter, serving barista-made takeaway drinks, alongside a selection of pastries and bread, and a brand-new cheese barge at the centre of the store offering a selection of speciality cheeses.

The retailer added that customers have a larger selection of products, including more fresh produce offered from M&S's Select Farm partners.

Store manager Jonathan Black said: "It feels amazing to be back serving our customers. The atmosphere has been electric this morning and I'm so grateful to everyone who queued to be one of the first inside.

"A massive thanks also to the team for all their hard work - this investment in Martlesham means we can now deliver the best of M&S Food for our customers, just in time for the bank holiday and the start of summer."