M&S Lichfield Fashion Warehouse Opens First 70 of 600 Jobs

Marks and Spencer has put over 70 vacancies live for its new fully automated fashion distribution centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The 437,000 sq ft warehouse is expected to employ 600 people in total when fully operational, so the 600 figure is the full headcount once the site is running, while the 70-plus roles are the ones open now. The site is set to open next year. For Metaintro readers in the West Midlands, this guide covers which roles are open, what the shift pattern looks like, what the site does, and how the warehouse fits with a second M&S hiring push in the same city.

How Many M&S Lichfield Jobs Can You Apply for Right Now?

Only the first wave of 70 roles is live. M&S has launched its first recruitment drive for its new automated fashion distribution centre in Lichfield, and those roles are now available to apply for via M&S Careers website.

The remaining roles will come in later waves, with more roles promised in the coming months as we gear up to launch, in the words of supply chain director David James.

When M&S agreed to buy the site in May, the warehouse was due to become operational in 2027, employing around 600 people. The plan for around 600 jobs once operational was also set out by the property adviser on the deal, Lambert Smith Hampton.

Which Roles Are in the First Wave of Hiring?

The first wave of vacancies includes management, operational and specialist positions, with applications made through the M&S Careers website.

The first-phase list from David James, Supply Chain and Logistics Director for Fashion, Home and Beauty at M&S, runs from Planners to Team Managers and Technicians and he wants people who enjoy the fast pace of logistics and are keen to play a role in our exciting transformation journey.

Across M&S, planning teams embrace data to make decisions and work smarter, so that the right stock in the right place at the right time is delivered.

The M&S release on the first recruitment drive does not describe the Technician roles in detail, and what an automation and controls technician does and what it pays covers that general line of work.

As we get closer to launch, building the right team is crucial, Supply Chain and Logistics Director David James said, according to the M&S release on the Lichfield hub.

What Do the Shifts and Benefits Look Like at the Lichfield Site?

One early Lichfield listing shows what working at the site involves. The Team Manager role at the Lichfield Distribution Centre was a full-time, permanent post that closed on 20th October 2026, so treat it as a guide to the site rather than a job you can still apply for.

M&S was recruiting that role across both day and night shifts, as full-time positions working a 12-hour shift pattern, on a two-week rotating schedule.

Night hours on that post paid more, with a 25% night shift premium for all hours worked between 10pm and 6am. The salary on that Team Manager post was listed only as Competitive + Benefits, with no figure given.

The benefits for that post include these.

• A 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, once probation is complete
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more, plus pension and life assurance
• Wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause of your choice
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one
• Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave

Two practical points are worth knowing before you apply. M&S runs alcohol and drugs testing on site for safety, and candidates can ask for support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process when they complete the application.

M&S also offers mentorship through our buddy system, so that new colleagues feel supported in their roles and can learn from others.

What Does a Team Manager at the Site Actually Do?

The Team Manager job gives the clearest picture of daily life inside the hub. The role is to coach, lead and motivate warehouse colleagues ensuring we achieve site targets, and to manage the people side of the job, from wellbeing, absence, performance management and development.

Team Managers also support Shift Managers in planning, managing and adjusting resourcing levels in line with planned and flexed volumes that depend on sales.

The role's other accountabilities include to manage operational processes to improve productivity, to drive a positive culture of Health & Safety by leading by example and to encourage a one team approach across all functions.

Among the traits listed, M&S wanted an experienced leader of teams, providing clear direction through proactive engagement who is flexible in your approach to work, sleeves rolled up and hands on, and a target driven self-starter who thrives within a fast-paced environment. The Team Manager listing does not ask for a degree.

The Lichfield centre is due to open in early 2027, and M&S is hiring managers to help build and lead our team from day one.

What Does Fully Automated Mean for the People Who Work There?

The hub will add additional capacity to the existing M&S distribution network, so orders move more quickly from suppliers to distribution centres and on to stores or straight to customers.

In May, M&S said the increased capacity and automation at the site will improve range, availability and speed to store or direct to customer. M&S also said the site would let customers place orders later in the day while gaining access to a wider selection of sizes and styles of clothing.

The work inside is high volume. The site is a fast-paced logistics operation where thousands of products will be received, processed and dispatched every day, and this isn't a store.

The M&S release does not set out which tasks machines will handle and which people will do. Across the business, M&S distribution teams harness innovation, automation, tech and E-commerce tools to get products to customers.

Where Is the Warehouse, and Why Was It Empty?

The building is not new. The site sits at Fradley Park, around three miles north-east of Lichfield, and it was built for online fashion seller ASOS.

ASOS launched the £90m Fradley Park site (about $119.7 million) five years before the M&S deal. It was designed by KPP and built by GMI in 2021, but ASOS mothballed the site just three years later in response to falling sales.

M&S agreed a conditional deal in May to buy the Fradley Park building from ASOS for £67.5 million (about $89.8 million). The property firm Lambert Smith Hampton acted for M&S and calls the building a fully automated facility that will form part of the long-term M&S supply chain strategy.

Before it was mothballed, the ASOS site was originally intended to fulfil orders to more than 150 countries around the world.

Why Is M&S Adding a Fashion Warehouse Now?

The reason is online sales. M&S is aiming to double online Fashion, Home and Beauty sales, with supply chain transformation a key part of its strategy.

John Lyttle, managing director for Fashion, Home and Beauty at M&S, tied the deal to that goal in May, arguing that to serve customers faster, the distribution network needs more capacity, and he framed the purchase as part of highly disciplined capital investment.

Supply chain transformation is a strategic priority for the retailer as it tries to shorten the time from supplier to distribution centre to customer. It also sees faster processes as a way of improving long-term profit margins.

The online push reaches beyond the UK too. In August, M&S expanded its partnership with Zalando's logistics arm, ZEOS, to fulfil its online direct-to-consumer business across 22 continental European markets.

This acquisition does just that, delivering tangible business benefits that move our transformation forward, at a much lower cost compared to a new build option, M&S managing director John Lyttle said in May, according to the Motor Transport report.

Is M&S Hiring for Anything Else in Lichfield?

Yes. M&S is also opening a 15,800 sq ft fresh market-style foodhall on St John's Grange, Baker Way, in Lichfield.

That store is set to open next March and create 70 new local jobs, and candidates can register their interest now. Applications are due to open in the next few weeks for a range of roles, including Shift Leads and Customer Assistants, across the shopfloor and operations.

The foodhall is part of a wider store rollout, under M&S's plan to open 18 new food stores during the current financial year. M&S is opening those stores to expand its footprint and deliver larger format stores for customers, offering the full product range. Both the warehouse jobs and the food store jobs go through the same M&S Careers website.

There is a short-term option as well. M&S plans to recruit 11,000 new colleagues to support store teams over the festive period, and those Christmas roles pay £13.41 (about $17.83) an hour. A seasonal store job is a different role from warehouse work.

How Does This Fit With UK Pay Floors and Retail Jobs?

The M&S release on the hub gives no pay figure for the warehouse roles, so the legal minimum is the floor any role there must meet. The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 (about $16.90) from April 2026, and it rises to £13.21 in April 2027 (about $17.57).

The wider retail jobs picture is weaker. UK retail employment fell to a record low of 2.78 million in the year to the second quarter of 2026, in Office for National Statistics figures cited by TheIndustry.

Young people have a separate route in. M&S is among more than 40 retailers backing the Opening Shift programme, a government-backed plan. The Department for Work and Pensions runs it with retailers for 18 to 24-year-old NEETs, offering two to four-week placements of 16 to 35 hours a week, with ongoing Universal Credit support. Eligible young Universal Credit claimants are referred to the voluntary programme through Jobcentres, and they could be offered a permanent role if one is available.

What This Means for Warehouse and Logistics Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

The first wave of jobs covers management, operational and specialist roles, so people with management, operations or technical backgrounds can all look now. If you have led a shift, planned stock or fixed machines, the first wave is the one to target.

• Check the right teams. Search the M&S Careers site for Lichfield under the Supply Chain and Logistics team, which also covers planning, transport and network roles.
• Plan for long rotating shifts. The Team Manager role used a long rotating pattern, so think about travel to Fradley Park and childcare before you apply.
• Weigh the night premium. Night hours paid extra on the Team Manager post, so compare day and night take-home pay before you choose a shift.
• Show transferable skills. If your background is in shops, how to move from retail experience to another job in any industry sets out how to describe that experience for a new field.

Lacey Kaelani, Metaintro's CEO, puts it this way: A new warehouse hires its leaders first, and those leaders often pick the people they want on their shift. Getting in early, even in a smaller role, puts you in the room when the big hiring starts.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs will the M&S Lichfield distribution centre create?

A: The hub is expected to employ 600 people in total when fully operational, and over 70 vacancies are open in the first wave.

Q: When will the new M&S warehouse in Lichfield open?

A: The centre is set to open next year, with early 2027 given as the opening on the Team Manager listing.

Q: How do I apply for M&S Lichfield warehouse jobs?

A: Vacancies for both the hub and the new food store are posted on the M&S Careers website, where candidates can view and apply for vacancies for both the distribution hub and new store, and the Supply Chain and Logistics team page links to current supply chain vacancies.

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