# Austins Opens Menswear Store in Former Marks & Spencer Building in Newton Abbot

> Austins opened an 8,000 sq ft menswear store and cafe in a former Marks & Spencer building in Newton Abbot, employing over 100 people across the business.

- Published: 2026-11-15T18:04:53+00:00
- Section: Expansion
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-15/austins-newton-abbot-menswear-store-opening
- Source: [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckn80lyenx9lo)

## Key takeaways

- Austins opened an 8,000 sq ft menswear store and cafe in the former Courtenay Street Marks & Spencer building in Newton Abbot.
- The family-run department store began trading in Newton Abbot in 1924 and employs over 100 people.
- David Austin said taking over the old Marks & Spencer premises and connecting it to the main department store shows the retailer can be successful on the high street.

Austins opened an 8,000 sq ft menswear store and cafe in Newton Abbot on Saturday, converting a Courtenay Street building that closed as a Marks & Spencer in 2014. The [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckn80lyenx9lo) reports that the family-run department store, which began trading in the Devon town in 1924, employs over 100 people.

## Austins Converts Former Marks & Spencer Site

The new premises is connected to Austins' main department store, and the company describes the store and cafe on its [own website](https://www.austins-uk.com). Lily Austin, the store's executive assistant, said "in a world where out of towns are growing and growing and town centre's are dwindling" the opening was a great boost for the town.

David Austin, who took over the running of the family business in the late 1980s, said the opening was "an amazing enhancement for our business" and had "taken us to a new dimension". He said: "Taking over the old M&S premises and changing it into what is really quite a modern store, and also connecting it to our main department store - it shows we can be a retailer in the high street, be successful and be a part of the shopping experience our customers want." Austin added that Austins was "very much a people business".

The company was founded by Robert Charles Austin, whose son Charles managed the store in the 1950s before Robert's grandson David took over in the late 1980s. Louise Cooke, Mayor of Newton Abbot, said the refurbishment was "wonderful" and described Austins as "a family firm that care about Newton Abbot". Shopper Henry Merricc called the store "a great asset for the whole of the community that keeps the town vibrant", while Michael Sheffield said: "Austins is Newton Abbot, and Newton Abbot is Austins."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a £210m package to regenerate the country's communities and high streets in September, with footfall on many said to be in long-term decline as shops and services move online.

## Austins' September High Street Package

Burnham's £210m package, announced in September, is aimed at regenerating communities and high streets. The BBC reports that footfall on many high streets is said to be in long-term decline as shops and services move online.

## Companies in this story

- Austins Department Store · website: https://www.austins-uk.com

---
News for Agent · https://newsforagent.com/llms.txt