MARKS & Spencer is planning to shut one of its York stores as part of a wider closure scheme nationwide.

The retail giant revealed yesterday that it was consulting with staff on proposals to close its Simply Food store at Monks Cross, along with five other stores across the country.

It said that if the proposal went ahead, all 30 employees would be guaranteed redeployment to other York stores.

“If the proposal goes ahead, the store would close in June and the majority of colleagues would move to the large Clothing, Home and Food store at Vangarde Retail Park, just a few hundred metres away,” said a spokeswoman.

Alison Grainger, head of M&S’ North Division, said the closure decision had not been taken lightly. “It is now important that we work closely with our colleagues on the consultation and it is our intention that nobody would leave M&S,” she said.

“We are committed to delivering the very best of M&S to our customers in York. We have three other popular stores in the city, including our Vangarde store.

“Other near-by stores include M&S York City Centre and the M&S Outlet store at York Designer Outlet.

“The proposed closure of Monks Cross Simply Food is part of M&S’s five-year UK store estate programme announced in November after a full review of its UK store portfolio.”

M & S originally planned to close the Simply Food site at Monks Cross when it opened its neighbouring superstore at the Vangarde, but reversed the decision in March 2014, saying it believed the shop could sit alongside the larger new store.

Chief executive Steve Rowe said customers’ shopping habits were changing.

“Picking up food for now or tonight rather than doing one big shop or browsing and shopping online and collecting in store are great examples of this and we are committed to adapting our business so that we stay in tune with our customers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Debenhams, has announced that up to 10 of its stores nationwide are to be considered for closure over the next five years.

But a spokeswoman said it could not disclose whether any of the stores at risk were in the York area, adding: “There will not be any immediate implications for any of the stores.”