Colchester's new Marks and Spencer opens in Stanway

Hundreds of people queued outside the store more than an hour before it opened in order to take a look at the new supermarket, which welcomed shoppers in at 9am.

The grand opening came less than a day after the Marks and Spencer closed on the High Street for the final time.

Campaigners and shoppers who fought to keep the High Street Marks and Spencer open were left disappointed after the shop shut yesterday after 91 years in the high street, but the new out-of-town store was still highly anticipated by customers who queued as far back as the B&Q store to get their first glimpse of the supermarket.

Staff at the High Street store all had the option to work at the new Stane Retail Park shop if they wished to, though concerns still remain for elderly shoppers who relied heavily on the city centre branch of Marks and Spencer.

Take a look at the photos below to get a feel for what is on offer at the new Marks and Spencer

Shoppers queued all the way back to B&Q before the Marks and Spencer opened (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

The foodhall at the new Marks and Spencer had neon signage as part of a modern design (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Daniel Rees, Colchester Gazette (Image: Daniel Rees, Colchester Gazette)

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