M&S White Rose: I got a sneak preview inside the new Leeds megastore - and here's what I thought

The brand new megastore has been hotly anticipated for over four months and as the 97,000 square foot destination prepares to welcome eager shoppers for the first time today (May 25) I was given an exclusive first look tour of the impressive new store.

I’ve been writing stories on the “megastore” for months now but I guess while in my ‘file and onto the next story flow’ I never really stopped to think about just how big the store was going to be and moving into the large premises vacated by Debenhams, which collapsed amid the fallout of the pandemic, Marks and Spencer have made sure to make use of every inch that the gigantic store floor offered them.

The store features an impressive beauty department stocking brands including Clinique, L’Occitane, Philip Kingsley, Autograph and Formula, which I am reliably informed are M&S classics.

Inside the food hall and I was met with seemingly endless fresh displays brimming with quality produce – including a bakery, a selection of cheeses, an M&S pizza counter complete with special pizza oven, and a dedicated wine shop. As a cheese lover I was practically drooling at the impressive array of fresh cheeses on offer.

The state-of-the-art new store offers a shopping experience like never before. Those on the hunt for some new summer clothes will be able to try out their new look in the changing rooms before paying online, without the need to stand in a long queue. While the scan it M&S app will allow food shoppers to scan their items as they go before paying via their mobile devices.

If this new fangled technology isn’t for you however, then fear not as the store also features large checkout and self-service areas. Upstairs and you can chill out with a special Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar Slushee in the store’s ‘digital cafe’ which also features a new coffee imported from Melbourne, Australia.

Don’t believe me? Fear not as the new megastore will finally open to the public from 10am today and the first 200 customers through the door will be given a golden ticket with a prize inside.