Could Marks and Spencer Be Reopening This Month?
Positively Putney suggests return might be earlier than anticipated
Marks and Spencer's art-deco facade. Picture: Positively Putney
February 6, 2026
Marks & Spencer appears to be edging closer to reopening its long-vacant Putney High Street store, with local business group Positively Putney indicating that the retailer is aiming to open later this month.
M&S has not issued any official announcement and has not responded to requests for confirmation, but activity inside the building has intensified in recent weeks, suggesting preparations are well underway. However, a February opening would be somewhat earlier than previous expectations with the company having indicating a target of Easter for the relaunch.
Positively Putney — the area’s Business Improvement District (BID), funded by local businesses to support the town centre, promote footfall and coordinate improvements — has told members that the store is expected to return imminently. Contractors have been seen working inside the unit, which has stood empty since M&S closed its Putney branch in 2018. The art-deco facade at Putney High Street has been restored as part of the reopening.
Positively Putney has previously said that M&S is the single most-requested returning retailer among local shoppers, and its reopening is expected to support smaller businesses nearby.
In its most recent public statements about store investment, Marks & Spencer has highlighted Putney as one of several London locations earmarked for renewal as part of a multi - year programme to modernise its estate. The retailer has been shifting towards larger, more modern food - led formats, with improved layouts, expanded fresh ranges and upgraded in - store bakeries — the model many expect to see adopted in Putney.
The company has also been investing heavily in nearby sites. In Fulham, M&S has been progressing plans for a major redevelopment of its North End Road store, including a new food hall and residential units above. At Kew Retail Park, the retailer has committed to a significant refurbishment as part of the wider regeneration of the site, ensuring it remains one of its key West London hubs. And in Chiswick, M&S recently completed a substantial upgrade of its Chiswick High Road food hall, part of a £90m London - wide investment package announced in 2025.
The store’s return comes at a moment of significant upheaval for the surrounding area. Demolition has now begun on the prominent corner site at Putney High Street and Putney Bridge Road, where a new hotel development is planned. Heavy machinery, hoardings and narrowed pavements are expected to remain in place for some time as the scheme progresses.
Meanwhile, the Levellers Court site next door — a long-stalled redevelopment plot — may also be changing direction. The Putney Society has heard that the land could be split back into separate parcels rather than pursued as a single large scheme, although no formal plans have yet been submitted.
The result is that M&S, when it reopens, might find itself flanked by construction sites on both sides.
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