For one hundred and thirty nine years marks and Spencer has been a stalwart of British retailing - it’s a position that looks set to continue as the group embarks on a major round of new store openings, which in turn will create around 2200 new jobs.

The new 65,000 sq ft store in Birmingham's Bullring is just the beginning. Eight more are set to open this month, with a total investment of 80 million pounds. This signals a strong endorsement for traditional retailing after a turbulent period that saw the closure of many well-known brands.