MandM, the online retailer specialising in reduced priced branded fashion and sportswear, is pleased to confirm the opening of its new headquarters in Hereford Old Market’s former Debenhams store on 20th May 2024.
Taking over the first and second floors of the building, the 47,000 sq. ft space is large enough to house the 280 staff members who are making the move from Leominster, where MandM has been situated for 30 years. The additional employees, numbering in the hundreds, will continue to work out of the distribution centre at Moreton-on-Lugg.
MandM tasked ADT Workplace architects to create an office environment that promotes sustainability, creativity and inclusivity.
Holly Simpson, Interior Designer at ADT Workplace, shares her insight on the office redesign brief: “[TT1] With features to support wellbeing, inclusivity and sustainability integral throughout, the vibrant new space incorporates a variety of workplace settings to offer a truly agile and flexible office environment.
Central to the design is a striking architectural staircase, which as well as delivering the wow-factor as people move around the space, facilitates movement between floors, improving connectivity and communication between teams.
The design concept takes inspiration from Scandinavian design principles, which has an emphasis on simplicity, minimalism and functionality to enhance comfort, collaboration and productivity. The neutral colour palette, combined with tones from natural materials such as stone and wood, promotes a calming and peaceful atmosphere, with splashes of colour added throughout via planting, decoration and furniture, adding a touch of warmth and vibrancy.
In addition, there is an abundance of natural light owing to the stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, supported by soft lighting features, further enhancing employee comfort and wellbeing.
We have loved working with the MandM team to bring the design vision to life over recent months. The new office signifies a real step change in the way people across the business will work, collaborate and develop, so we’re excited to see what the future holds as the team settles into their new home.”
On the move, Mike Tomkins (Chairman of MandM) says: “We are delighted that MandM is relocating to our new offices in the City of Hereford. As we continue to grow our business and invest in our infrastructure and colleagues, it’s now the right time for us to expand and find a new home which allows us to continue that growth trajectory.
Moving to Hereford and taking over the vacant former Debenhams site was a natural move, allowing us to invest back into Hereford as well as giving us the space to grow our team and
operations. We will work to make Hereford an eCommerce hub for the region, supporting our future ambitious plans to grow in both the UK and Europe.
Our new office offers modern facilities that creates an environment that promotes creativity, collaboration, and a sense of community for all our colleagues. We have new photography studios, open collaborative spaces, social kitchens as well as facilities that are designed to encourage colleagues based locally to cycle and walk to work.
With the workforce coming into the office, we expect that our move will have a positive impact on the area, adding anywhere between £500,000 and £1 million to the local economy a year.
The move also brings about new opportunities. We currently have 11 vacancies and are recruiting for several job roles ranging from sustainability managers to IT developers to join the team at our new office.”
Vicky Morgan, who has been with MandM for 20 years and is one of the longest serving employee, shares her thoughts on the office relocation: “We are all looking forward to working in our new offices in Hereford. The new facilities will make a massive difference in our day-to-day operations, and it is exciting to have witnessed the business grow over the past 20 years. I have always enjoyed working at MandM – the people and spirit are brilliant and now we will have great new surroundings to match.”
MandM is also committed to supporting the local and wider communities. During the move, the company donated the Leominster office furniture to local schools and St. Michael’s Hospice.
The business continues its philanthropic efforts supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust raising over £2.6m in the last 19 years in addition to a recent partnership with Harris Federation, London where MandM have donated football kits to all 54 school academies (6,300 kits) worth £250,000.
