More than a century ago, as the First World War drew to a close, Marks and Spencer opened its first Scottish shop in Dundee.
A fixture of the city’s ever changing high street, generations of Dundonians have entered the art-deco building on Murraygate for school uniforms, gifts, food and holiday money.
But after 106 years, M&S is leaving the city centre and relocating to a new home in the Gallagher Retail Park.
The new build, inside the former DW Sports and Mothercare units, will cover 48,000 square feet over two floors and feature a food hall, ladies and menswear, café and a bureaux de change.
M&S favourites Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar will be in attendance on opening day on July 16.
And manager Mary Power says more than 160 staff are getting ready to throw open the doors and welcome customers to Scotland’s first “full line renewal” M&S store.
New Dundee M&S store to open
Mary has worked with the company for 25 years.
She started on the shop floor of the Murraygate store as a Christmas temp, clearing rails of clothes from the fitting room during the busiest time of the year.
Since then, she has worked in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Mann, Perth, Edinburgh and Stirling, before coming home to Dundee eight years ago.
She said the staff were “super excited” to get the shop open.
“It feels like waiting for Christmas. It has felt like we have been waiting a while for the store to be built, but in two weeks we will be opening and it is all on track.
“The staff are all super excited to open the new store.
“We will be bringing 147 staff to the new store and 11 team managers, two deputy store managers and myself.
“The shop is 48,000 square foot. On our ground floor we will have our lovely food hall with in-store bakery, flower shop, wine section and one of the biggest M&S cheese barge in the country.
“Women’s wear, beauty, home fragrance and the travel money hub are also on the ground floor.
“And on the first floor will be lingerie, kids, menswear and our café.”
New store to have all modern features
The Murraygate store might live long in the memory, but for staff taking deliveries and getting them on to the shop floor, the new building might just be that bit better, Mary added.
“From a colleague perspective, our backstage area offers a new, efficient area to carry out all of our processes.
“For example in our current stores, staff have to use a lot of ramps and stairs and lifts to get to the fridge.
“But in the new store, produce will come straight-off the vehicle and right into the fridge and on to the food hall.
“This will make it much easier for our colleagues.
“As well as that, we have a lovely new colleague lounge where they have computer and USB charging.
“It is a much better environment than what we have currently in both stores.”
And despite the firm bonds staff and customers have for the high street store, Mary is sure the new M&S will become a sure favourite.
“Our Murraygate store is one of our older stores. Staff have fond memories of the shop they have formed over the years.
“I started in the Murraygate store 25 years ago as a customer assistant. Lots of our colleagues and managers have started at the Dundee store.
“And we are all really proud Dundee was the first M&S store in Scotland, back in 1918.
“And I think staff are just as proud now to be opening the first renewal store in Scotland too.”
Conversation