Fashion retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has announced the opening of its first store in the city of Siliguri, West Bengal, at Vega Circle Mall, through social media.
“Siliguri, Say Hello to M&S! The wait is over – Marks & Spencer has officially landed in your town,” said the LinkedIn post.
“We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of our first-ever Marks & Spencer store in the vibrant city of Siliguri,” the post added.
The British brand made its foray into the Indian market in 2001 and established a joint venture with Reliance Retail in 2008, giving rise to Marks and Spencer Reliance India Private Limited. This entity currently manages three additional stores in Kolkata, West Bengal. The brand has expanded its presence to encompass over six stores, serving the eastern regions of India, including Assam, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.
The addition of the new store will bring M&S’s total to approximately 107 stores across 33 cities in India, as stated on the company’s official website. This expansion underscores the company’s recognition of India as a highly significant market. M&S currently boasts a workforce of over 1,900 colleagues dedicated to supporting both its offline and online customer channels, as indicated on its official LinkedIn profile.
Headquartered in Paddington, London, M&S opened its first store in 1884 and was founded by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. As of 2023, there are over 1,064 stores located in the UK, and over 452 other store locations situated around the world, according to a report by Statista. Across its worldwide operations, the company employs over 66,000 people, the majority of whom are women.