Marks and Spencer announced today that it is going to close its Stevenage town centre store because it has become commercially unviable.

Marks and Spencer announced yesterday that it is going to close its Stevenage town centre store because it has become commercially unviable.

The Queensway store will shut its doors for the final time on Saturday, September 26, after 45 years in the town. A spokesman for the company said: “After much consideration, we have taken the difficult decision to close our Stevenage store. We will be offering roles for all colleagues in nearby stores.”

Stevenage town centre manager Tracey Parry said: “It is disappointing. I think the town needs an M&S. In our shopper survey every year people always say they want a bigger and better store. The fact that we are not getting that and it is closing will have an impact on the town. I think that if they hadn’t shut the upstairs last year and invested in improving the store it would have been commercially viable. In the end they didn’t which is a shame and is not good news as we head into the Christmas shopping period.”

The company is currently building a superstore in a retail park in Biggleswade which is due to open next year. A spokesman for the company said the new branch’s opening had nothing to do with the closure of the Stevenage store.

Despite the announcement Tracey believes that with the new plans to redevelop the town centre, M&S could be tempted back.

She said: “It’s a long term thing but perhaps they will return when the regenerations starts.”

In total 46 staff will be affected.