Major release: Marks & Spencer in Casablanca

Marks & Spencer opens its first store in Morocco tomorrow in the coastal city of Casablanca, in the latest leg of its international expansion.

The High Street bell-wether also revealed it has launched an e-commerce site in China and plans to launch an own-language website in Russia.

M&S’ store in Casablanca — the city made famous in the eponymous film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, above — is being opened through its franchise partner in the region, Supermarkets 1960. Rivals Zara owner Inditex and Swedish giant H&M are also targeting Morocco and Marc Bolland, pictured inset, chief executive of M&S since May 2010, said: “Now is the time to go there, not in five years’ time.”

As M&S grows abroad, its general merchandise sales have fallen at home. M&S has 412 stores overseas and is targeting rapid expansion in countries such as India. It is also in talks to launch standalone Simply Foods stores in France.