Hot on the heels of Marks and Spencer having a food outlet at a petrol station in Rawreth (opening this month), there’s some unofficial reports on the Rayleigh Action Group Facebook page that M&S are taking over the Co-op in Eastwood Road, probably as a food store.
This should be quite a boost to the High Street… a Marks and Spencers in Rayleigh has been on quite a few people’s wish-list for decades…. though it would be good if they had a clothes range too..
Have heard this as well from a reliable source.
We have been told that M&S have pulled out of the co-op development, is this true.
Looking at the ‘old’ store there is no activity to make one believe that a re-fit is going on.
The barriers which prevented cars from using the car park are down, so its a free for all at the car park.
Are we to have a derelict site decaying near our high street/
Susan, looks like the opening will be early next year:
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/13576785.M_S_open_date_is__early_next_year_/?ref=fbshr
I wondered the same. There is no activity in there at all. Its a real shame if M&S have pulled out.
It is in todays Echo, so must be true! (Tongue in cheek!)
My only concern is whether the price range will be affordable for the average family in Rayleigh?
An M&S could be a good boost for the town. What do the Chamber of Trade think?
Where is there a petrol Station in Rawreth?
In London Road – it’s just over the parish border.
I don’t think anyone who lives in Rayleigh would recognise the Grange Filling Station to be in Rawreth!
You are probably right Helen, but strictly speaking it’s in Rawreth !
Will the price range be affordable for the average family in Rayleigh? Janet, it’s a good question. Buying your entire week’s shopping there could be pricey. But I think most people nowadays use more than one supermarket anyway.
In the Black household we go to Lidl (good quality and cheap) , Waitrose occasionally for some goodies and the Co-op , Asda, Iceland or Sainsbury for the rest
I’ve noticed though that the M&S Spaghetti Bolognaise ready-meal is good value – I sometimes buy it at the BP filling station on the A13 on the way to work !
Would be very disappointed if M&S was food only – this town needs and deserves some more retail outlets and more housing and infrastructure , long overdue. Come on Rayleigh – be brave , we can take our town to a new level if we embrace change – just a little !!
Marks & Spencer could bring a greater unity to the town , we have great schools and crime control but we may be getting carried along and led by the growing “evening culture” , God forbid we go down the Romford route and lose our daytime identity because nothing much happens during the day [ remedied by giving the ‘market’ a further weekend slot ] M& S and subsequent rivals it would attract to our area could really put our town ‘ on the map’ once more !!!
Thanks for your comment Julie – welcome to onlineFOCUS !
Julie, to have clothes as well they would have to utilise the top floor. This only has a service elevator going to it, so the cost of putting in stairs/escalators would be huge. Perhaps in the future if the food hall does well, who knows. Or they could of course take Bar Blanco and turn that into clothing, that would be good. We need a multi age range good quality clothing store. I used to like M&Co, but since their refit they seem to be looking to the younger market and the stuff seems quite dear and not the same quality it used to be.
Thank goodness a decent store in Rayleigh at last. M&S gives quality food at excellent prices.
It won’t be an M&S – it wouldn’t fit in Rayleigh, and it would not work economically.
Having spoken with some staff in the Co-Op it’s definitely going to be an M&S. They are going to do a big refit of the store and I’ve heard that it may not reopen until September. I expect that to make the store viable they will open up the first floor as retail space as well.
There’s no way that M&S are going to run it as a proper supermarket, so those of us who don’t drive will be disadvantaged. I don’t look forward to the trek to the Weir, getting over the Weir, shopping in the hellhole that is Sainsbury’s, getting back over the Weir and trekking home again!
It’s a very good point David.
What a load of utter rubbish, people disadvantaged because they don’t drive ! It may of escaped your attention but it will be situated in the town centre, perhaps you would like it in your back garden……
They certainly are going to sell clothes at the new M&S.
At last somewhere in Rayleigh for the over 40’s to buy reasonable quality clothes…r
I bet nobody in rawreth thinks it’s in rawreth either!!
If they are definitely going to sell clothes as well then they are going to need a bigger car park!
cannot believe the negativity of some people,not everything in m and s is expensive,you get what you pay for,it will boost RAYLEIGH very much or would people rather it got left empty and decaying,Alot of companies now cannot afford to stay in the town hence the closure of many
I have heard that M&S may pull out of the old Co-op supermarket due to asbestos problems. It would be an absolute shame if this is correct. Is this true?
Last thing I heard was via facebook and the Echo, they found asbestos, new store would open in the New Year.
Any info from someone in the know would be welcome.
We could always have another bar or restaurant as rdc have already said they can’t achieve the targets for retail. All those business people that work at the council should know what they are talking about….
James – your wish has come true already – the old Ski Shop in the market car park is to be a bar & grill. Refurbishment is under right now.