Images have been released showing how the Douglas Marks and Spencer (M&S) will look once the revamp of the store has been completed.

Work has already begun on refurbishing the city centre store, which first opened its doors in 1996.

Back in May, Isle of Man Today exclusively revealed that M&S would be shutting its cafe.

M&S bosses defended that decision, saying customers would benefit from the makeover with plans to expand the supermarket’s grocery offering.

All the staff at the café have been relocated and the store has confirmed it is now on a recruitment drive to employ a further 20 people at the store.

M&S has released photos to Isle of Man Today of the store at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire which it says mirrors how the revamped Douglas will look with more aisle space and a wider range of stock.

Store manager Caroline Brand who has worked at M&S Douglas for ten years said: ‘We're excited to unveil our plans to renew our Douglas store. This investment will allow us to offer an even wider range of our delicious M&S Food, while continuing to deliver the great quality and trusted value our customers expect.

‘Throughout the works, our dedicated team will be working hard to ensure a smooth shopping experience and minimise any disruption during opening hours.’

Isle of Man Today was given a tour of the store to explain what changes would be made.

News of the café’s closure sparked something of an outcry and even prompted an online petition to save it. There has been a café there since 2004, and the facility was extended in 2017.

When asked about the café, they said it was a commercial decision to shut the facility.

It added that once the work is complete, customers may understand better why the decision has been made.

The area is now unrecognisable. The counter, chairs and tables have all now been removed and replaced with children’s clothing while the partition currently in place will eventually be removed to create an open plan space.

The new Foodhall is expected to open before the end of 2025 – hopefully in time for Christmas - and aims to deliver ‘a fresh and exciting shopping experience’ for Isle of Man customers.

The store will feature a substantially larger Foodhall with new highlights including freshly baked sourdough loaves from a bigger in-store bakery, hot beverages to-go at the coffee counter, expanded Frozen section and a new hot chicken counter offering ready-to-enjoy meal options.

The ground floor will house the newly extended Foodhall and bakery, while a temporary coffee cart has been introduced at the front of the store.

Colleagues from the former café are now welcoming customers to this pop-up coffee cart.

Despite some complaints it wasn’t coffee customers were after but somewhere to meet or rest after a day shopping, one staff member told Isle of Man Today that the feedback about the new coffee cart has been very positive.

The Douglas store will remain open throughout the renewal works with the team committed to minimising disruption for customers.

As part of the new store layout, the Kids department has been relocated to the first floor of the store.

The makeover will also include investment in the already-popular Fashion, Home and Beauty departments. These modernised spaces will showcase M&S brands such as GoodMove, Per Una, and Apothecary.

The Beauty department will offer a wider selection of branded beauty products while the renewal will also feature new tiling and enhanced fitting rooms throughout the store, adding to the ‘fresh, contemporary feel’.

There will also be a slight change to the Drumgold Street entrance which will be opened up, leading into the Foodhall.

The fully transformed store is expected to launch in early 2026.