Our Wates Smartspace business marks 25 years of partnership with Marks & Spencer
More than 1,100 projects delivered. Twenty-five years of trusted collaboration. A shared commitment to creating retail environments that enhance experiences for customers, colleagues and communities.
This year, Wates Smartspace is marking 25 years of working in partnership with Marks & Spencer, reflecting on a relationship built on trust, collaboration and consistently high-quality delivery.
Since delivering its first project at Clapham Junction in 2001, our Smartspace business has completed more than 1,100 projects across the M&S estate. From fit-outs and renewals to extensions and acquisitions, the partnership has evolved alongside changing customer expectations, supporting one of the UK’s most recognised retailers as it continues to invest in its stores and communities.
The milestone comes as M&S renews its Contractors Framework with Smartspace, reinforcing a relationship that continues to play a key role in the ongoing transformation of its estate.
Creating places where people thrive
At the heart of the partnership is a shared ambition to create retail environments that shape positive experiences for customers, support colleagues and create lasting value for the communities they serve.
For 25 years, Smartspace has delivered projects in live retail environments where maintaining business continuity is critical. Through careful planning, close collaboration and a deep understanding of the retail sector, projects have been delivered with minimal disruption while helping M&S modernise and enhance its store estate.
This approach has enabled them to support some of M&S’s most significant transformation programmes.
At M&S Orpington, a major renewal and extension transformed the store into a modern retail destination, expanding the foodhall by more than 10,000 sq ft and introducing a new two-floor fashion offer.
In Tooting, Smartspace transformed a former Wilko unit into a new M&S Foodhall, completing the project ahead of schedule and supporting the retailer’s return to the area for the first time since 2008.
Alongside successful project delivery, sustainability and social value have remained central to the partnership, helping to create positive outcomes that extend beyond the stores themselves and into local communities.
Building on a strong foundation
The latest example of the partnership in action can be seen at M&S Godalming, where Smartspace has successfully transformed a former Homebase building into one of the UK’s largest standalone Simply Food stores.
Now open to customers, the flagship project reflects M&S’s continued investment in high-quality food destinations and demonstrates how the partnership continues to evolve in response to changing customer needs.
During construction, Tim Wates, Chairman of Wates Group, visited the site to see first-hand the quality, collaboration and pride that continue to define the partnership.
I would like to thank the entire Smartspace team for the outstanding work delivered on the Godalming project. The quality, collaboration and pride in what has been achieved here are clear to see. This scheme is a great example of how, by working together, we can create something that not only meets our client’s ambitions but also contributes positively to the local community. You should all be extremely proud.”
Tim Wates
Chairman of Wates Group
I’m incredibly proud of our 25-year partnership with Marks & Spencer. It represents our shared commitment to creating places where people thrive and the dedication of our teams who deliver great spaces every day.
The successful completion and opening of the Godalming store is another fantastic example of what we can achieve together. It’s a proud moment for Smartspace and everyone involved.”
Scott Camp
Managing Director of Wates Smartspace
Looking ahead
Projects such as Orpington, Tooting and Godalming are part of a much bigger story – one that spans 25 years of delivery, innovation and collaboration.
As the partnership enters its next chapter, Wates Smartspace will continue working alongside Marks & Spencer to create future-ready retail environments that enhance customer experiences, support colleagues and generate lasting value for the communities they serve.
About Wates Smartspace
Wates Smartspace brings new life to established spaces through high-quality refurbishment, fit-out and enhancement throughout the UK.
We are an industry-leading, framework-led refurbishment business, built on long term customer relationships operating nationally across a mix of public and private sector markets.
We upgrade the places that keep society moving, from schools and government buildings to banks and retail spaces.
We also offer a marketplace for sustainability technologies through our WIN Portal so you can accelerate your journey towards a sustainable future.
Learn more about Wates Smartspace and how they’re reimagining places.
