Marks & Spencer closes stores May 24

Marks & Spencer stores were listed as closed on Sunday, May 24, in a Spring Bank Holiday opening-hours guide carried by Manchester Evening News. The guide said most M&S locations were expected to reopen from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 25, while advising shoppers to check local branches because hours can vary. M&S's own store finder says customers should look up opening hours and services by postcode or town. The closure appears to be a bank-holiday trading update rather than a new companywide shutdown announcement. The immediate practical point for shoppers is that Sunday, May 24, is a no-go day for many branches in that guide, while Monday, May 25, is the next listed reopening window for most sites. (msn.com) ### Why were M&S stores closed on May 24? Manchester Evening News said the closure was part of its Spring Bank Holiday 2026 supermarket hours roundup. The article grouped M&S with other major chains adjusting schedules around the late-May bank holiday weekend and said most M&S stores would be back open on Monday. (msn.com) M&S's own store-listing page does not publish one national holiday schedule on the page surfaced in search, but it does direct customers to check individual branches for opening hours, services and department details. That means local exceptions are possible even where broader guides give a standard window. ### What should shoppers expect on Monday, May 25? The Manchester Evening News guide said most Marks & Spencer locations were listed to trade from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 25. (msn.com) The paper also told shoppers to verify hours locally before traveling. The M&S store finder is the company source for branch-level confirmation. (marksandspencer.com) Customers can search by postcode, town or city to check whether a Foodhall, Simply Food, Outlet or full-line store is open and what services are available. ### Why does the company’s broader business update matter here? InfotechLead reported on May 23 that Marks & Spencer's FY2026 group sales reached £17.37 billion and that statutory revenue rose to £17.27 billion after consolidation of Ocado Retail operations. (msn.com) The report said adjusted profit before tax was £671.4 million, down from £881.1 million a year earlier. (marksandspencer.com) The same report said M&S plans FY2027 capital expenditure of about £650 million to £750 million, including roughly £140 million for Digital & Technology initiatives. Those investments are directed toward online platforms, warehouse management systems, automation, supply-chain modernization and e-commerce infrastructure, according to the report. (infotechlead.com) ### How much of that investment is tied to AI? InfotechLead said M&S is using artificial intelligence in areas including pricing, waste reduction, decision-making and customer offers. The report said the retailer has deployed AI-powered tools to about 11,000 employees, including store managers and operational teams, and is rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI productivity programs. (infotechlead.com) The same report said M&S resumed investment during the second half of FY2026 in its fashion planning platform, food warehouse systems and e-commerce modernization after recovery from a cyber incident earlier in the year. ### Where can customers confirm the next step? Monday, May 25, is the next date most prominently listed for reopening in the bank-holiday guide, with 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. cited for most locations. (infotechlead.com) M&S directs customers to its store finder to confirm branch-specific hours, services and departments before visiting. (msn.com)