A CAMPAIGNER has vowed to continue fighting to keep Colchester High Street’s Marks and Spencer open despite the retailer pushing on with plans for its new store in Stanway.

Maarten Westera, along with his wife, Sarah, started a petition back in April when Marks and Spencer announced plans to close the store in the high street and open a new shop at Stane Retail Park.

The petition currently has 4,281 signatures.

Mr Westera, 56, has also started a survey to find out whether Marks and Spencer’s current customer base is likely to travel to Stane Retail Park to continue shopping at the retail chain.

Gazette: Many are unhappy about the move to close down the High Street branch of the storeMany are unhappy about the move to close down the High Street branch of the store

Out of the 231 responses recorded so far, half have said they are unlikely to ever visit the new Marks and Spencer.

Additionally, half of respondents said they walk to Colchester High Street’s Marks and Spencer, with 24 per cent using public transport and three percent travelling by bicycle.

Mr Westera explained he intends to present the findings of the survey to Marks and Spencer bosses who, he argues, prioritised profits over customers when the decision was made to relocate the store.

He said: “We don’t believe Marks and Spencer has done any real survey to find out what customers really want – they’ve done it on what is a strategic way forward for their organisation.

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“We need more customers to fill in the survey and we want to present the results to Marks and Spencer.”

Despite having contacted the retailer on several occasions, Mr Westera has said he has received only generic responses via email.

“It was very much the standard response everyone else has been getting – there was nothing else new in what they said.

“It’s very disappointing for an organisation that says they care about their customers [because] the reality of that is the exact opposite – doing what they want to do.”

“Marks and Spencer is banking on creating a whole new customer base, and that’s pretty shocking – the existing customers will be voting with their feet and it will be a loss to them, as well as us.”

The new Marks and Spencer store is due to open in the autumn.