First look inside M&S’ largest ever standalone Foodhall

A strong community welcome

M&S has opened its largest ever standalone Foodhall in Godalming, Surrey, a 22,000 sq ft Foodhall featuring the full M&S Food range. On arrival, the stores car park was incredibly busy and there was a queue for the entrance spanning around the entire front of the store. As is custom for an M&S store opening a large Percy Pig inflatable was featured just outside the store entrance, and Percy Pig himself came out to greet the local community. People in the queue for the store were provided M&S Godalming custom tote bags just for the opening, and if somebody didn’t get one they could line up to spin a wheel of fortune which included prizes such as a free tote bag, Percy Pigs, or Sparks card vouchers.  

Modernising store formats

Upon entering this massive Foodhall you were greeted by the familiar market stall displays featuring the retailers fresh market special fruit and vegetables of the season. On the left as you entered was the first indication that this store was amping up the modernised formats M&S is aiming to curate, blended retail featuring frozen fruit placed directly next to the chilled packaged fruit. This blended retail is found frequently in larger new M&S stores and shows just how much M&S is looking to amplify the in-store experience and provide convenient solutions to shopping based on food category rather than temperature zone.

Moving further into the fresh section the second example of blended retail can be found, this time for the herbs category and featuring ambient, chilled, and frozen herbs in one easy to access area, as well as the M&S Organic range using more blended retail as found in certain other stores.

Counters to enhance the shopping experience 

Continuing through the store we reach the features of the store that really bring experiential retail into play, a dying artform in UK retail, the counters. In this store, like other M&S new and renewed stores, is a bakery and coffee counter and a hot chicken counter. These food-for-now counters provide shoppers more of an experience when moving through the store rather than just completing a big shop. As well as these two counters is a third less commonly featured in M&S’ new stores, a sushi counter. This counter featured freshly made sushi packaged and ready-to-eat, as well as adjacencies of condiments and Asian inspired drinks such as matcha from Perfect Ted, organic tea from Kaytea, and Japanese-inspired sour sodas from Chu Lo. These adjacencies are something M&S does well in-stores and is found at the hot chicken counter as well, offering baguettes and condiments alongside the chicken.

Another standout feature of this store is the cheese barge found directly in the centre. The fixture has classy signage and uses chests to present the variety of cheese on offer, as well as using FSDUs, baskets, and the top of the barge to show the paired offerings of condiments, deli style meats, wine, crackers, and even some kitchen utensils. This section of the store drew attention like no other, acting as a centrepiece for the store and differentiating itself from the cheese sections found in other UK retailers. The cheese was also displayed in such a way it was easier to navigate across three shelves compared to previous iterations of this display.

Striking designs for drinks and wines 

Towards the far end of the store the drinks sections can be found with some interesting and eye-catching designs. First is this water bay, found in other new M&S stores, which looks like its been pulled straight from under a waterfall. The colouring of the section makes each SKU on the shelf seem incredibly fresh. Further along is a Low and No alcohol specific bay, as the category continues to grow in popularity it makes sense to clearly segment this section in order to capitalise on the shopper trends. Next to this Low and No bay however is another piece of clever blended retail, pre-made cocktails on an ambient shelf directly next to a freezer full of bagged ice, perfect for those in need of a quick solution to cool down their cocktails.

Adjacencies galore throughout the store

One thing this store evidently does well is adjacencies, with two more examples of blended retail being found in the dessert section and the seafood section. But another great adjacency in this store is specific to the summer season, a chilled gondola-end featuring cream and various summer fruits, capitalising on the highly popular summer sweet treat.

Strategic growth in family shopping 

Previously M&S has discussed its desire to appeal to a wider audience of shoppers to become a shopping list retailer, the particular demographic M&S is aiming to target in order to gain this growth is family shoppers, and this new store shows just how much they are attempting to appeal to more value-led shoppers and move away from its premium price point reputation. Across various categories in the store specific bays and sections used overhead signage and bus-stops to show that products have been added to M&S’ Remarksable Value range, some examples include chilled vegetables and pasta in an ambient bay. These bays were heavily featured throughout the store and differentiated it from other new stores which did not have such prevalent value messaging. This shows just how much M&S is pushing to gain the baskets of family shoppers and achieve its long-term goal of doubling the size of its food business in terms of sales.

Largest standalone Foodhall living up to expectations 

M&S’ new Godalming Foodhall is more than just its largest standalone food store, it is a clear showcase of the retailer’s evolving food strategy. From highly engaging in-store experience led retail, extensive use of blended retail, curated adjacencies, and striking visual cues, the store demonstrates how M&S is making its stores more intuitive and inspiring. Standout features such as the counters, cheese barge, and striking displays differentiate this store from its traditional supermarket counterparts. Perhaps more importantly, the store focuses on M&S’ ambition to broaden its appeal beyond its already captured shopper base. Through prominent value messaging and convenience of navigation, the retailer is making a strong effort at attracting family shoppers and growing larger baskets. Godalming is a sign that M&S is combining its premium quality credentials with greater accessibility, which could be the formula to drive significant growth.