Tesco makes Chesterfield move

Taking over part of a former M&S store vacant since November 2022, the supermarket giant will open an express-format store at 2-8 High Street.

The deal was brokered by FHP on behalf of landlord ALB Group.

M&S closed its doors three years ago after decades of trading from the location, moving to an out of town site at Ravenside Retail Park.
Now, the ground floor of the building has been split into three units with Tesco taking the central portion for a Tesco Express store.

Handover to Tesco is expected to take place at the end of January 2026, on a 15-year lease.

The landmark building next to the 800-year-old Market Place and opposite Primark, has been a familiar feature of Chesterfield’s main shopping thoroughfare for generations.

ALB Group, which is working on projects around the UK including a residential scheme close to Blackpool Tower, has already begun plans to rejuvenate the property ready to hand over ahead of the grocer’s own store fit-out. The two other retail units will be of similar size to the Tesco space.

Arran Bailey, managing director of ALB Group, said: “This deal is another example of our commitment to breathing new life into key town and city centres across the UK. The former M&S site is in a prime location, and securing Tesco is a huge vote of confidence in Chesterfield’s high street.”

The reopening at High Street is a further boon to Chesterfield town centre – Market Square has reopened to shoppers following a multi-million pound revamp orchestrated by Chesterfield Council, funded by the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

Oliver Marshall of FHP Property Consultants said: “The letting adds to the revitalisation of the heart of the town and shows the continued appetite for well-positioned, quality retail space in busy high street locations.

“This unit is right in the heart of the city, surrounded by other strong retailers, and we’re confident it will perform extremely well.”