The 1,000 sq ft store will be open seven days a week and aims to enhance the visitor, patient and staff experience on site. It will offer a click and collect facility for purchases from marksandspencer.com.
Featuring self-service kiosks, the store will offer a range of M&S products, including a deli selection, hot and cold drinks, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as food to go and food for later options.
It is the latest expansion in the Trust’s ten year partnership with Compass Group UK & Ireland’s One Retail, which has seen investment over the past three years, including the opening of a Costa Coffee shop inside the hospital's main entrance in 2021.
Simon Holden, the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's director of finance, said: “Thousands of patients visit our Countess site every year and we are committed to ensuring that a variety of accessible options are available for everyone.
“That's why we are extremely excited to be adding to the food and drink options at the hospital, which will give patients, visitors and staff even more choice. Our new M&S store will be formatted to offer a generous range of great quality M&S Food products and we're really looking forward to it opening later this year.”
Around 20 people will be employed at the new store, and work is due to begin this spring, with opening scheduled for later in the summer.