The wait is over. The Marks & Spencer Foodhall at Fairacres Retail Park opened its doors this morning (Wednesday, 22 April 2026), marking the arrival of the long-anticipated addition to Abingdon’s shopping scene.

Shortly before 8am, staff gathered at the entrance behind a branded ribbon, watched over by a larger-than-life Colin the Caterpillar.

After a brief countdown, the ribbon was cut and the team took up their positions, ready to welcome the first customers.

An orderly queue had already formed ahead of opening time, with early shoppers keen to be among the first inside.

Inside, the new store was spacious and bright. Customers were greeted at the entrance by a display of orchids alongside fresh fruit and vegetables and bright signs indicating the different product zones.

To mark the occasion, shoppers were given Fairacres Abingdon tote bags featuring Percy Pig, who was on hand to greet customers. Staff were distributing leaflets about the Sparks loyalty scheme, which launched earlier this month.

The final photo captures some familiar Abingdon faces enjoying the opening – a moment in the town’s history.

I don’t think it would be overstating it to say that the people of Abingdon and neighbouring villages have been waiting for this day for months.

Store Manager Paddy Sunderland, who has been with Marks & Spencer for over six years, said on the official M&S website: “We cannot wait to open our brand-new store in the heart of Oxfordshire.”

The waiting is nearly over. The opening date is Wednesday 22nd April 2026 at 8 am. So be there at 7:50 am to see the doors open for the first time and perhaps get a picture of the 75 staff and the ribbon cutting.

This 18,000 square foot M&S Foodhall at Fairacres Retail Park stands on the site of the former Homebase. Where there were once fitted bathrooms and lawn mowers, there will rotisserie chickens and strawberries.

Much of the fresh produce will come from M&S Select Farm partners, with over 60 based in Oxfordshire.

A Click & Collect point will allow shoppers to pick up online orders, including fashion items. There will also be free Wi-Fi and a coffee shop, according to the M&S store page https://www.marksandspencer.com/stores/abingdon-fairacres-7778.

The store will be open 8am–9pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am–4pm on Sundays. The opening has also created around 75 jobs, many of them local.

And what of the public reaction?
‘Can’t wait’
‘We will be there’

There are the usual local questions:
‘Traffic queues?’
‘Effect on town centre shops?’

By Wednesday morning, the doors will open, the wait will be over, and we will know.

There is a ‘For Sale’ sign outside Walton House on Ock Street – the former home of Franklins Solicitors, a familiar name in Abingdon.

The sign follows events in March, when a notice appeared on the door saying that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) had closed the practice of Hunters Solicitors LLP. The closure of the firm and all its associated offices included the Abingdon solicitors.

Franklins’ story in the town goes back much further . The practice started as A.H. Franklin & Son and became Franklins. Between 2022 and 2023 it became part of Hunters.

The March notice with information to help clients and employees is on the Franklins website https://franklins-solicitors.co.uk/.

Morrisons Daily is to replace Budgens at the Peachcroft Shopping Centre in Abingdon.

Half the shelves in the Peachcroft shop are already empty ahead of its closure on Sunday, April 12. The store will then undergo a refit before reopening as a Morrisons Daily on Thursday, April 23 – St George’s Day. The reopened shop will retain the existing staff.

Budgens stores are usually independently owned but supplied through a national wholesaler. In recent years, Budgens has been owned by Booker Group, which is part of Tesco. The Peachcroft Budgens has stocked Tesco-linked own-brand products, such as the Jack’s range.

Abingdon will soon have almost every major supermarket, either as a large store, neighbourhood shop or petrol station outlet. That includes Aldi (large), Asda (petrol station outlet), Co-op (two stores), Lidl (large), Marks & Spencer Food (opening soon), Morrisons (opening soon), Tesco (one large and two neighbourhood stores), and Waitrose (large). Sainsbury’s is the exception.