M&S to add 500 locally sourced lines at its largest international food store in Dubai

Marks & Spencer plans to open its largest food store outside its home market at Dubai Festival City in December 2026, in partnership with its franchise partner, Al-Futtaim. The news is about more than the size of the planned store: its range will include over 3,500 products from the British brand alongside 500 new locally sourced lines, according to a report published by Retail Systems on 2 November. This puts local sourcing at the heart of a development of interest to the UAE’s franchise sector.

Dubai to welcome the brand’s largest international food store

The planned food store will cover 15,327 square feet, making it M&S’s largest outside its home market. It will be located at Dubai Festival City, where Al-Futtaim has operated an M&S clothing store since 2018. The food store will therefore open at a shopping destination where the brand already has a presence, rather than at an entirely new location for its UAE partnership.

December remains the target opening date, not a confirmed start to trading. The description of the store as the largest also applies specifically to M&S food stores outside its home market. It does not mean it will be the largest food store in the UAE, or the largest store across all formats in the M&S network. These distinctions matter when assessing the scale of the announcement without overstating it.

The clothing store’s presence since 2018 provides context for the relationship between M&S, Al-Futtaim and the location. It is not, however, enough on its own to predict the planned food store’s performance or estimate its sales. An established presence at the destination should not be treated as a financial forecast for the new venture.

500 locally sourced lines alongside the British range

The most notable feature of the announced range is the combination of over 3,500 M&S products and 500 new locally sourced lines. The company described the local lines as carefully selected for the market, making them an explicit part of the store’s offering rather than simply a potential future addition.

It is important to distinguish between product lines and suppliers: the figure of 500 refers to new products, not the number of businesses supplying the brand. Nor does ‘locally sourced’ automatically mean that all these products are manufactured in the UAE. It describes the sourcing arrangements as presented in the announcement, without specifying the origin of each item.

For the franchise sector, this raises a practical question that goes beyond the opening itself: how does a brand combine its core products with a range selected for the market in which it operates? The announcement offers a specific example of that approach, but does not yet demonstrate commercial results. Only once the store is trading will it be possible to assess shoppers’ response to the mix.

Al-Futtaim builds on an established franchise partnership

The announcement’s significance for the UAE franchise sector stems from Al-Futtaim’s role as M&S’s franchise partner, not just the arrival of a new food range. The planned opening represents the expansion of an international brand’s presence through its existing partner, with the focus at this location shifting towards a substantial food retail space and a range that includes locally sourced products.

The Dubai Festival City store is set to be the first of five large food stores the brand plans to open in the UAE in the 12 months following the announcement. What makes this particular store noteworthy, however, is its size relative to the brand’s other international food stores and the number of locally sourced lines it will stock, rather than the number of planned locations alone.

The partnership and opening announcement should not be read as an invitation for individuals to apply for a sub-franchise. Equally, the addition of locally sourced products does not amount to an open call for supplier applications. An announced sourcing plan is not the same as published terms for participation. Anyone considering a business decision should contact the relevant parties directly for clarification.

What should prospective market entrants watch at opening?

The next milestone is confirmation that trading has begun in December, followed by details of the range actually available to shoppers. It is useful to separate three elements when following the project: the announced floor area, the number of products and commercial performance. The first two are details of the published plan; the third cannot be inferred from the store’s size or the breadth of its range before it opens.

For suppliers, the announcement highlights the importance of understanding international brands’ requirements before proposing locally sourced products. For brand owners, it offers a case worth following on how to combine a core product identity with local choices in a store operated by a franchise partner. This is a practical interpretation of the announcement, not a guarantee of results that can be applied to other brands.

Practical takeaway: Follow the opening of the Dubai Festival City store and the details of its locally sourced range. Distinguish between the expansion of an existing partnership and a franchise or supply opportunity open to applications: each needs independent confirmation before any decision is made.