Marks & Spencer (M&S) in conjunction with DP World London Gateway have announced that they will be building a major new distribution centre at the new deep-sea container port and logistics park which opens later this year on the Thames, 25 miles from central London, in South Essex.

As part of the £200m investment into DP World's London Gateway, M&S will create approximately 700 jobs; there will also be hundreds of additional workers employed in the construction phase.

Marc Bolland, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer, said: "London Gateway will become our third large distribution centre in the UK as we transform our logistics operations into a modern and agile supply chain, fit for the future of M&S."

Locating M&S' new distribution centre at Britain's new global shipping gateway means M&S will move millions of products directly from ships to the company's new distribution centre at the adjacent London Gateway Logistics Park. The new London Gateway port's south east location gives M&S closer access to key UK cities.

Subject to planning, M&S will begin construction of the new facility in 2014. London Gateway port is set to open in Q4 2013.