Broadway Becomes Increasingly Deserted With M&S Departure

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Closure on 8 September will leave large areas of town centre sitting empty

The M&S Foodhall on Fulham Island has confirmed it will close its doors on Saturday 8 September.

This latest departure will leave a large part of Fulham Island, and the overall Broadway, sitting empty. The neighbouring site which was vacated by North African restaurant and cafe Del Aziz last December remains vacant nine months later. Its closure was so sudden that tables inside remain laid and Christmas lights still hang above the door.

Directly opposite M&S, the large corner site at 20 Fulham Broadway, formerly housing estate agent Barnard Marcus is also still deserted and is currently available to rent through commercial agent Cushman and Wakefield.

Across the street, The Elk Bar also shut down earlier this month and further down the Broadway, this year has also see the closures of Chop Chop Noodle Bar and Lekkerbek coffee shop around the corner in Effie Road.

The impending closure was first announced in July after M&S decided not to renew its lease on this store and another in Ruislip.

In July, Nick Pucci, head of region for London at M&S said: "The decision not to renew our leases and therefore close our small food stores in Ruislip High Street and Fulham Island was a difficult one to make.

"We've got brilliant teams at both stores, with 40 colleagues at Fulham Island and 35 at Ruislip, and they will all move to nearby M&S stores."

2018 is becoming a desperate year for the retail and hospitality industries, with a number of major chains being forced to close stores and restaurants across London and the country.

In our borough, closures this year have included Warren Evans, Maplin's and Poundworld, which had branches in Shepherd's Bush and in Fulham's North End Road - another prominent site which is now empty.