Key Points
- Marks & Spencer will employ over 200 people for the Christmas period in its Merseyside branches.
- Job vacancies include Liverpool ONE, Aintree, Southport, St Helens Ravenhead, Edge Lane, Formby, Prescot Cables, Queens Drive and Speke New Mersey.
- According to Marks & Spencer, the job vacancies will be “fast-moving and hands-on,” aimed to assist the customer service of the retailer during its busiest time.
- It is planned that the new full-line Speke New Mersey will be opened in spring 2027.
- The move of the Speke food hall branch is expected to result in 100 new job opportunities.
- Job vacancies for team managers in the new Speke store have appeared on the M&S Careers site.
- Some of the seasonal recruits can be offered permanent positions in the new Speke New Mersey team by Marks & Spencer.
- According to Pete Dobson, regional manager at M&S, the company is looking for candidates dedicated to their work with customers and being able to work in a team.
- Christmas vacancies can be applied for on M&S’s Christmas careers web-page.
- Nationwide, M&S will recruit 11,000 seasonal workers, starting from 25 October, as reported by Yahoo Finance.
Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 14, 2026 – Marks & Spencer has announced plans to recruit more than 200 colleagues across Merseyside for the festive season, while also preparing for a new full-line store at Speke New Mersey that is expected to create 100 further jobs in spring 2027. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the retailer said the Christmas recruitment drive will support its shops during one of the busiest periods of the retail calendar.
The announcement covers both established stores and food halls across the region. M&S said vacancies are available at Liverpool ONE, Aintree, Southport and St Helens Ravenhead, as well as its Edge Lane, Formby, Prescot Cables, Queens Drive and Speke New Mersey food halls.
The retailer described the seasonal positions as fast-moving and hands-on, with colleagues expected to work together to maintain customer service during the Christmas period.
Which M&S Stores Are Recruiting?
The recruitment drive spans nine named M&S locations across Merseyside. The Liverpool Echo reported that opportunities are available at the following sites:
- Liverpool ONE
- Aintree
- Southport
- St Helens Ravenhead
- Edge Lane
- Formby
- Prescot Cables
- Queens Drive
- Speke New Mersey food hall
M&S has not published a store-by-store breakdown of the more than 200 vacancies in the announcement reported by the Liverpool Echo. The company said interested applicants can find details and apply through its Christmas careers page.
What Has M&S Said About the Roles?
Pete Dobson, regional manager at M&S, welcomed the recruitment plans and framed the vacancies as both a seasonal staffing need and an opportunity for local jobseekers. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, he said: “It’s fantastic to have so many new colleagues set to join us soon. It’s our busiest time of year but a great opportunity to play a part in delivering the magic of M&S at Christmas for our Merseyside customers.”
Mr Dobson added that M&S is looking for recruits who are “passionate about customer service, enjoy working as part of the team and love the fast pace of retail.”
The company’s national Christmas careers page says applicants should allow around 45 minutes to complete an application and should have personal details, a National Insurance number and right-to-work documentation available. It also states that interviews take place in store.
When Will the New Speke Store Open?
The new Speke New Mersey full-line store is scheduled to open in spring 2027. It will replace the existing food hall at New Mersey Retail Park and is expected to create 100 new local jobs.
M&S said the new location will offer food, fashion, home and beauty ranges, expanding the product offer currently available at the existing Speke food hall.
Team manager roles connected to the new store are already listed on the M&S Careers website. The Liverpool Echo reported that M&S will also look to recruit some of its new Christmas colleagues permanently for the Speke New Mersey team.
What Are the Pay and Application Details?
M&S’s recruitment listing for the new Speke New Mersey store shows a part-time, permanent in-store role with pay of £13.41 per hour. The listing describes opportunities across operations, food, hospitality, fashion, home and beauty teams.
The company’s Christmas careers information says seasonal colleagues are expected to work full time during the final two weeks before Christmas and to be available on 22, 23 and 24 December. It describes those dates as among the busiest and most important in the retailer’s calendar.
Applications for the Christmas roles are open through M&S’s dedicated Christmas careers page.
How Does This Fit Into M&S’s Wider Recruitment?
The Merseyside announcement forms part of a broader seasonal recruitment programme. As reported by Yahoo Finance, M&S plans to recruit 11,000 seasonal workers across its UK stores for Christmas, with the first recruits due to join teams from 25 October.
That report also stated that the seasonal roles pay £13.41 an hour. It further noted M&S’s separate plan, announced the previous month, to open Sephora shop-in-shops at 100 M&S locations across the UK, with the offer launching in selected stores and online in spring 2027.
Background of the Development
M&S announced in March 2025 that it would invest more than £50 million in eight new and improved stores across North West England. As part of that programme, it said a new full-line store at New Mersey Retail Park in Speke would replace the existing Food Hall, subject to planning approval, and create more than 100 local jobs.
The company said the Speke development would bring clothing, home and beauty ranges to south Liverpool alongside its food offer. At that stage, M&S described the plans as pending planning permission.
The latest Merseyside recruitment announcement indicates that the retailer is now preparing staffing for both the Christmas period and the planned 2027 store opening.
Prediction: What It Means for Merseyside Jobseekers
For Merseyside jobseekers, the development is likely to create a short-term increase in retail vacancies before Christmas, followed by a more limited number of permanent opportunities linked to the Speke New Mersey opening. Applicants seeking seasonal work should expect availability requirements around the final two weeks before Christmas, including 22 to 24 December, according to M&S’s careers guidance.
For workers interested in a longer-term retail career, the new Speke store may be the more significant development. The planned 100 additional roles and the live team manager vacancies suggest that M&S is building a larger workforce ahead of the spring 2027 opening, although the company has not confirmed how many permanent roles will be filled from the current seasonal intake.
For local shoppers, the new full-line store is expected to broaden the range of M&S products available in south Liverpool, adding fashion, home and beauty to the existing food offer.
