Work on a £140 million designer outlet shopping centre on the A1 is due to start this year and be completed by 2028, the developer has said. The new shopping centre, which is expected to have 137 shops, cafes, and leisure outlets, will bring more than 1,200 jobs to a rundown, struggling town close by.

The complex was originally scheduled to open in 2021, but work is finally set to begin this year. Giles Membrey, the managing director of Rioja Estates, said the scheme had suffered “a lot of setbacks”, but would become “a tourist attraction in its own right” when finished. As well as the usual chain stores, there will be facilities for local artisans and business pop-ups to help create a more town-centre feel. To that end, there will also be public green spaces and squares for shoppers to relax in and enjoy.

Grantham Designer Outlet Village will be the UK’s only premium outlet with a visible frontage and direct access from the UK’s 3rd busiest highway (A1), the developers say.

They said: “With the construction of the new junction south of Grantham on the A1 completed, Grantham Designer Outlet Village is one of the few Outlets in the UK to have both visibility and direct access from a major highway.

“At Grantham Designer Outlet Village, we’re creating a state-of-the-art retail destination that will transform our visitors’ shopping and leisure experience.

“Inspired by the surrounding countryside, our buildings are conceived as traditional forms with contemporary finishes and high-quality shop fronts. Our research tells us to expect 3.8M visitors to visit Grantham Designer Outlet Village.”

Last year, Grantham was described as a “dump” and a “shanty town” according to YouTube channel Turd Towns. Their video, entitled The Worst Towns In the Flat World of  Lincolnshire, names 7 Lincolnshire towns as being some of the worst in the country, including Grantham, Gainsborough, Grimsby, Boston, Cleethorpes, Scunthorpe and Skegness.

The new shopping centre will be just three miles from Grantham, as well as being easily accessible from the A1 motorway. The designer shopping village is expected to pull in visitors from Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester, Peterborough and Cambridge.

It will be a 50 minute drive from Leicester and a 65 minute drive from Cambridge and 3.5 million shoppers are predicted to visit it annually.

The designer outlet village will include free wifi, fastcharge car park points, active media boards, a VIP suite, ATMs and shop mobility.

However not everyone is thrilled at the plans.Councillor Richard Davies, who represents Grantham West on the county council, criticised the delays and said he would prefer to see the site used to support local industrial companies, rather than retailers.

Plans for the Grantham Designer Outlet Village were originally approved by South Kesteven District Council in 2017.

Davies said it had faced “a lot of delays, and added:”Our little corner is crying out for business space, decent quality hi-tech workshops – space for businesses to grow,” he added.

However Mr Membrey said with the development he was trying to “create something that’s massively beneficial, not only for Grantham but also for Lincolnshire”.

The site was “one of the most strategic locations in the UK, in terms of where it sits on the A1”.

“So we are looking at other hotels and services on the site, so in total there’ll be around 1,200 to 1,300 jobs created,” he added.

Aldi, the supermarket chain, has revealed plans to open a series of new stores within the next 24 hours. The retailer, which currently operates over 1,070 outlets, will unveil new locations in Uxbridge and Old Kent Road in London, as well as Northallerton, Pershore on Thursday 11th December, and a fresh store in Yate, Bristol on Friday 12th December.

The company stated that customers in these regions will have access to Aldi’s fresh British produce and its sought-after range of exclusive Specialbuys.

Opening five stores in a single day showcases the scale and pace of Aldi’s ambition as it strives towards its goal of operating 1,500 UK stores.

The retailer, recently crowned Christmas Retailer of the Year for the sixth consecutive year at the Quality Food Awards, is investing £650 million in new openings and refurbishments in 2025, with an additional commitment of £1.6 billion over the following two years. This investment will support the launch of approximately 40 new stores annually.

This expansion announcement comes as Aldi retains its title as Which? Cheapest Supermarket for November – a distinction it has held for four years running. 

Collectively, the five new stores will generate around 200 jobs, all offering Aldi’s industry-leading pay rates. Aldi also maintains its status as the only supermarket to offer paid breaks for all store colleagues, equating to nearly £1,475 per annum for the average store colleague.

Jon Neale, Real Estate Managing Director at Aldi UK, expressed: “Opening any new store is exciting, but opening five in 24 hours, just before Christmas, will make a huge difference for customers in each of these areas. It reflects the demand we’re seeing right across the UK and the scale of our ambition as we continue to grow.

“We’re committed to growing in the right places, with the right teams, bringing our low prices and high-quality products to even more communities – and we’re committed to moving as fast as we can to deliver that.”

The Aldi stores opening on Thursday 11 December are:

• Harefield Road, Uxbridge
• Old Kent Road
• North Moor Road, Northallerton
• King Georges Way, Pershore

And the Aldi store opening on Friday 12 December is:

• Link Road, Yate, Bristol

Marks and Spencer has unveiled a list of 500 potential locations for new and revamped Food stores, as part of its ambitious plan to double the size of its food business. The retail giant is set to open or renew 20 stores by the end of the financial year, creating 800 new jobs, signalling an acceleration in its store estate renewal.

As it gears up for growth, M&S is strategically opening stores with optimal space in prime locations, aiming to modernise its store estate while doubling its food business. To achieve this, the retailer plans to expand its Food stores to offer a wider range of products and attract more customers for their weekly shop.

The company reported that new M&S Food stores opened in the past three years have been successful, prompting it to broaden its search for suitable sites. This includes areas currently without an M&S store, such as Hove, Marlborough and Wallingford.

These proposed stores will feature the new renewal format, boasting an extended range of MandS Food, wider aisles for larger shopping trolleys, and spacious car parks to accommodate more family shoppers. The Food store in Selby, which opened on Three Lakes retail park last year, has exceeded expectations, delivering above-average food market share growth in the region, according to the chain.

M&S is currently scouting 500 potential sites to expand its modernised store format across existing markets and introduce Food shops to fresh locations. The retailer expects over half its estate, including convenience outlets, to feature the renewal format by April 2028.

Alex Freudmann Managing Director, M&S Food said: “The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth. With more than twenty stores opening or modernised before the end of the financial year, we are moving faster. Our team want new sites where we could open a large MandS Food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers.”

This expansion follows a challenging period in which profits dropped by more than half after a significant cyber attack earlier this year caused online home and fashion sales to crash by over 40% when website orders were suspended.

The high street chain saw underlying pre-tax profits slump 55.4% to £184.1 million during the six months ending September 27.

On a reported basis, profits were virtually eliminated, collapsing to £3.4 million from £391.9 million the previous year. MandS has revealed that a cyber attack cost the company £324 million in lost sales, slightly more than its initial estimate of £300 million.

However, it managed to recoup £100 million in the first half of the year through an insurance payout.

The attack is expected to impact profits by around £136 million, including an additional £34 million in the last six months of its financial year, according to M&S .

Sales in the fashion division fell by 16.4% as the cyber attack caused chaos, with online sales down 42.9% and in-store sales 3.4% lower.

The high street giant had to halt all online sales for approximately six weeks and faced empty shelves due to disruption to its logistics systems after hackers targeted the business around Easter weekend.

Hackers also stole customer personal data, which could have included names, email addresses, postal addresses and dates of birth.

M&S has announced locations for new stores:

Locations for new M&S stores

North West and West London

1. Acton

2. Baker Street

3. Belgravia

4. Belsize Park

5. Brent Cross Town

6. Brentford

7. Brondesbury

8. Chalk Farm and

Primrose Hill

9. Childs Hill

10. Cricklewood

11. East Finchley

12. Eastcote

13. Edgware

14. Finchley

15. Finchley Road

16. Gloucester Road

17. Golders Green

18. Hampstead

19. Hanwell

20. Harrow Weald

21. Hatch End

22. Hendon

23. High Barnet

24. Hillingdon

25. Holland Park

26. Ickenham

27. Isleworth

28. Kensal Green

29. Kensal Rise

30. Kentish Town

31. Kenton

32. Knightsbridge

33. Ladbrooke Grove / Portobello Road

34. Maida Vale

35. Mill Hill East

36. Moor Park

37. New Barnet

38. North Harrow

39. North Putney Bridge

40. North Watford

41. Northfields

42. Northwood

43. Northwood Hills

44. Osterley

45. Parsons Green

46. Pimlico

47. Preston Road

48. Queens Park

49. Rayners Lane

50. Ruislip

51. Ruislip Manor

52. Shepherds Bush

53. Shepperton

54. South Ealing

55. South Kensington

56. St Johns Wood

57. Stanmore

58. Sunbury

59. Warren Street /

Euston Square

60. Wembley Stadium /

Wembley Park

61. West Ealing

62. Westbourne Grove

63. Willesden Green

The City, NE and SE London

1. Aldgate

2. Barking Station

3. Barkingside

4. Bethnal Green

5. Blackheath

6. Bounds Green

7. Brockley

8. Buckhurst Hill

9. Camberwell

10. Canning Town

11. Chigwell

12. Chingford

13. Cockfosters

14. Collier Row

15. Crofton Park

16. Crouch End

17. Denmark Hill

18. Dulwich

19. Dulwich Village

20. Elm Park

21. Emerson Park

22. Enfield Chase

23. Forest Gate /

Wanstead Park

24. Forest Hill

25. Gants Hill

26. Gidea Park

27. Greenwich

28. Greenwich Peninsula

29. Hackney Wick

30. Hainault

31. Harold Hill

32. Harold Wood

33. Harringay

34. Highams Park

35. Highbury

36. Highgate

37. Hither Green

38. Honor Oak

39. Hornchurch

40. Hornsey

41. Ilford Station

42. Kidbrooke

43. Lee

44. Leyton

45. Meridian Water

46. Mile End

47. Mottingham

48. New Cross

49. Newbury Park

50. North Enfield

51. Palmers Green

52. Shooters Hill

53. Shoreditch

54. South Romford

55. South Woodford

56. Stoke Newington

57. Surrey Quays /

Canada Water

58. Sydenham

59. Tufnell Park

60. Turnpike Lane

61. Upminster

62. Upper Walthamstow

63. Walthamstow

64. Wapping

65. Whitechapel Station

66. Winchmore Hill.

67. Woodford

South London and West End

1. Abbey Wood

2. Addlestone

3. Balham

4. Banstead

5. Barnes

6. Biggin Hill

7. Blackfen

8. Burgh Heath

9. Carshalton

10. Caterham

11. Cheam

12. Chertsey

13. Chessington

14. Chislehurst

15. Clapham

16. Claygate

17. Cobham

18. Coulsdon

19. Crayford

20. Crystal Palace / Upper Norwood

21. Dartford

22. East Bromley

23. East Putney

24. East Sheen

25. Egham Hythe

26. Elmers End

27. Esher

28. Ewell

29. Gipsy Hill

30. Hackbridge

31. Ham

32. Hampton

33. Hanworth

34. Hayes : Bromley

35. Herne Hill

36. Hersham

37. Kingswood

38. Locksbottom

39. Lower Morden

40. Molesey

41. Morden

42. New Malden

43. Nine Elms

44. North Cheam

45. Oxshott

46. Penge

47. Petts Wood

48. Raynes Park

49. Sanderstead

50. Selsdon

51. South Orpington

52. St Margarets

53. Stoneleigh

54. Surbiton

55. Tadworth

56. Thames Ditton

57. Tooting Bec

58. Vauxhall

59. Wallington

60. Walton-on-Thames

61. Wandsworth

62. Warlingham

63. Welling

64. Weybridge

65. Whitton

66. Wimbledon Chase

67. Wimbledon Village

68. Worcester Park

29. Kidderminster.

30. Knaresborough.

31. Louth.

32. Mansfield.

33. Mosborough.

34. Netherfield Nottingham.

35. Northallerton.

36. Norton College Sheffield.

37. Pontefract.

38. Princess Park, Birmingham.

39. Quinton.

40. Redditch.

41. Richmond.

42. Rugeley.

43. Scarborough.

44. Scunthorpe.

45. Sleaford.

46. South Doncaster.

47. Stourbridge.

48. Team Valley Gateshead.

49. The Springs Leeds.

50. Thirsk.

51. Trentham.

52. Wakefield Rd Huddersfield.

53. Wednesbury.

54. West Huddersfield.

55. West Park Darlington.

56. Wetherby.

57. Whitley Bay.

58. Wickersley.

59. Wolverhampton.

60. Wombourne.

61. Yarm.

North West.

1. Abergele.

2. Altrincham.

3. Ashton-in-Makerfield.

4. Bamber Bridge / Clayton.

5. Barrow.

6. Bromborough.

7. Burnley.

8. Buxton.

9. Chorley.

10. Clitheroe.

11. Didsbury.

12. Frodsham.

13. Garstang.

14. Glossop.

15. Hale Barnes.

16. Knutsford.

17. Lancaster.

18. Leigh.

19. Lytham.

20. Market Drayton.

21. Marple.

22. Menai / Bangor.

23. Middlewich.

24. Mold.

25. North East Bolton.

26. Northwich.

27. Oldham.

28. Ormskirk.

29. Oswestry.

30. Penrith.

31. Prescot.

32. Prestwich.

33. Rawtenstall.

34. Stockton Heath.

35. Ulverston.

36. Upton.

37. West Cheadle.

38. Widness.

39. Workington.

Midlands/East Anglia.

1. Ashby De La Zouch.

2. Basildon.

3. Bedford, South.

4. Benfleet/ Leigh-on-Sea.

5. Bicester.

6. Billericay.

7. Bishop Stortford.

8. Braintree.

9. Brentwood.

10. Corby.

11. Daventry.

12. Diss.

13. Ely.

14. Fletchamstead, Coventry.

15. Flitwick.

16. Grantham.

17. Great Dunmow.

18. Great Yarmouth.

19. Harlow.

20. Hertford.

21. Holt/ Cromer.

22. Huntington.

23. Kenilworth.

24. Kettering.

25. Leicester, North.

26. Letchworth.

27. Loughborough.

28. Lutterworth.

29. Maldon.

30. Market Harborough.

31. Martlesham Heath, Ipswich.

32. Melton Mowbray.

33. Newmarket.

34. North Cambridge.

35. North Norwich.

36. Northampton, West.

37. Nuneaton/Hinckley (A5).

38. Oadby.

39. Potters Bar.

40. Putnoe – Bedford.

41. Rayleigh.

42. Royston.

43. Saffron Walden.

44. South Cambridge.

45. Spalding.

46. Stamford.

47. Sudbury.

48. Towcester.

49. Westway Chelmsford.

50. Witham.

Scotland

1. Anniesland

2. Bishopbriggs

3. Bridge Of Don Aberdeen

4. Broughty Ferry

5. Clarkston

6. Coatbridge Faraday

7. Craigleith

8. Cults / Garthdee

9. Cumbernauld

10. Dumbarton

11. Dumfries

12. Dunblane

13. Dunfermline

14. Elgin

15. Ellon

16. Glenrothes

17. Inveralmond Perth

18. Inverness

19. Inverurie

20. Irvine

21. Kings Park Glasgow

22. Kingsgate East Kilbride

23. Lanark

24. Leith

25. Livingston

26. Milngavie

27. Montrose

28. Morningside Edinburgh

29. St Andrews

30. Stonehaven

31. Uddingston

32. Westhill

Midlands and North East

1. Aldridge

2. Ashbourne

3. Balsall Common

4. Belper

5. Bingley

6. Birstall

7. Bishop Auckland

8. Blyth / Ashington

9. Boldon / Harton

10. Bridgnorth

11. Brighouse

12. Bromsgrove

13. Chilwell / Bramcote

14. Cleveland Middlesbrough

15. Congleton

16. Consett

17. Cortonwood Barnsley

18. Cramlington

19. Dorridge

20. Driffield

21. Ecclesall Road

22. Great Barr Birmingham

23. Grimsby

24. Guisborough

25. Hartlepool

26. Hexham

27. Holmfirth

28. Ilkley

29. Kidderminster

30. Knaresborough

31. Louth

32. Mansfield

33. Mosborough

34. Netherfield Nottingham

35. Northallerton

36. Norton College Sheffield

37. Pontefract

38. Princess Park, Birmingham

39. Quinton

40. Redditch

41. Richmond

42. Rugeley

43. Scarborough

44. Scunthorpe

45. Sleaford

46. South Doncaster

47. Stourbridge

48. Team Valley Gateshead

49. The Springs Leeds

50. Thirsk

51. Trentham

52. Wakefield Rd Huddersfield

53. Wednesbury

54. West Huddersfield

55. West Park Darlington

56. Wetherby

57. Whitley Bay

58. Wickersley

59. Wolverhampton

60. Wombourne

61. Yarm

North West

1. Abergele

2. Altrincham

3. Ashton-in-Makerfield

4. Bamber Bridge / Clayton

5. Barrow

6. Bromborough

7. Burnley

8. Buxton

9. Chorley

10. Clitheroe

11. Didsbury

12. Frodsham

13. Garstang

14. Glossop

15. Hale Barnes

16. Knutsford

17. Lancaster

18. Leigh

19. Lytham

20. Market Drayton

21. Marple

22. Menai / Bangor

23. Middlewich

24. Mold

25. North East Bolton

26. Northwich

27. Oldham

28. Ormskirk

29. Oswestry

30. Penrith

31. Prescot

32. Prestwich

33. Rawtenstall

34. Stockton Heath

35. Ulverston

36. Upton

37. West Cheadle

38. Widness

39. Workington

Midlands/East Anglia

1. Ashby De La Zouch

2. Basildon

3. Bedford, South

4. Benfleet/ Leigh-on-Sea

5. Bicester

6. Billericay

7. Bishop Stortford

8. Braintree

9. Brentwood

10. Corby

11. Daventry

12. Diss

13. Ely

14. Fletchamstead, Coventry

15. Flitwick

16. Grantham

17. Great Dunmow

18. Great Yarmouth

19. Harlow

20. Hertford

21. Holt/ Cromer

22. Huntington

23. Kenilworth

24. Kettering

25. Leicester, North

26. Letchworth

27. Loughborough

28. Lutterworth

29. Maldon

30. Market Harborough

31. Martlesham Heath, Ipswich

32. Melton Mowbray

33. Newmarket

34. North Cambridge

35. North Norwich

36. Northampton, West

37. Nuneaton/Hinckley (A5)

38. Oadby

39. Potters Bar

40. Putnoe – Bedford

41. Rayleigh

42. Royston

43. Saffron Walden

44. South Cambridge

45. Spalding

46. Stamford

47. Sudbury

48. Towcester

49. Westway Chelmsford

50. Witham

51. Woodham Ferrers

52. Wymondham/Cringleford

Home Counties

1. Acorn Park Crawley

2. Ascot/ Sunningdale

3. Ashford

4. Aylesbury

5. Berkhamsted

6. Billinghurst

7. Bognor Regis

8. Borough Green

9. Buckingham

10. Burgess Hill

11. Calcot Reading

12. Canterbury

13. Chalfont St Peter

14. Chineham,

Basingstoke

15. Cranleigh

16. Crowborough

17. Dover

18. East Grinstead

19. Farnborough

20. Fetcham/ Leatherhead

21. Fleet

22. Folkestone

23. Harpenden

24. Haslemere

25. Haywards Heath

26. Hazlemere

27. Heathfield, East Sussex

28. Hemel Hempstead

29. Henley-on-Thames

30. Herne Bay

31. Hook, Hampshire

32. Leighton Buzzard

33. Lewes

34. Marlow

35. Marshalswick, St Albans

36. North Brighton

37. Oxted

38. Petersfield

39. Princes Risborough

40. Reigate

41. Rustington

42. Seaford

43. South Reading

44. Storrington

45. Strood SF

46. Thame

47. Tonbridge

48. Tring

49. Wendover

50. West Basingstoke

51. West Woking

52. Whitstable

53. Windsor

54. Wokingham/ Arborfield

55. Woodley Reading

56. Worthing

57. Wycombe Marsh

South West and Wales

1. Abergavenny

2. Aberystwyth

3. Andover

4. Bath, West

5. Bishops Waltham

6. Blandford Forum

7. Bodmin

8. Bridgend

9. Bridgwater

10. Broadstone

11. Caerphilly

12. Carmarthen

13. Chandler’s Ford

14. Chepstow

15. Chippenham

16. Chipping Norton

17. Cirencester

18. Clevedon

19. Cwmbran

20. Devizes

21. Dursley

22. East Exeter

23. Emersons Green

24. Evesham

25. Exmouth

26. Falmouth

27. Ferndown

28. Frome

29. Gloucester Brockworth

30. Headington

31. Henleaze

32. Honiton

33. Ilminster

34. Imperial, Bristol

35. Llanishen, Cardiff

36. Locks Heath/Fareham

37. Lyme Regis/Axminster (A35)

38. Monmouth

39. Mumbles

40. North Dorchester

41. North Neath

42. Ocean RP Portsmouth SF

43. Penarth

44. Pentwyn

45. Plymstock/ Sherford

46. Pontarddulais

47. Porthcawl

48. Portishead

49. Radstock/Midsomer Norton

50. Ringwood/Verwood

51. St Austell

52. Stroud / Nailsworth

53. Summertown

54. Talbot Green

55. Teignmouth

56. Tiverton

57. Trowbridge

58. Waterlooville

59. Wellington

60. Weston Super Mare

61. Winscombe

62. Witney

63. Yate