Local suppliers help Marks & Spencer achieve bumper Christmas in Northern Ireland

A number of locally sourced lines have been named ‘hero products’ in Northern Ireland as M&S Food saw nearly a 10% spike in sales over the festive period across UK foodhalls.

The latest set of trading results show Northern Irish customers agree that Christmas means Marks & Spencer as they were drawn to the retailers renowned food offering, including products from its growing range of Northern Irish producers. These include lines from Genesis Bakery, Co. Londonderry and hero products such as Irish lamb Leg and spiced Beef, both from Linden Foods based in County Tyrone.

Northern Ireland has 22 M&S stores and is one of the retailers’ biggest supply regions with 11 direct suppliers and 1,941 farms producing quality product including milk, eggs, beef, pork, butter and bread.

Over Christmas M&S continued to support local employment, hiring 600 temporary workers for the season, many staying after Christmas on permanent contracts. Overall, the company currently employs more than 2,300 full and part-time colleagues in Northern Ireland.

Marks & Spencer has an ongoing store renewal programme in place. M&S Abbeycentre was the first store in Northern Ireland to undergo remodelling in 2019 utilising the retailers new-look design concept, followed by M&S Lisburn in 2021. Earlier this month, it was announced that the retailer’s new Coleraine store will open it’s doors to the public on 30 January.

M&S’s 22 NI stores are Abbeycentre, Ballymena, Banbridge (Outlet & Foodhall), Bangor, Belfast, Enniskillen, Foyleside, Lisburn, Newry, Newtownbreda, Omagh, Aldergrove, Armagh, Boucher Road, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Crescent Link, Malone & Upper Newtownards Road.