The retail giant has this week released a list of areas where it hopes to open standalone Food stores – either in new or renewed formats.
The firm is looking for sites which could provide a trading space of between 6,000 and 18,000 sq ft – to allow for wider aisles, larger car parks and an extended range of food.
Prestwich is the only area in the Bury borough which has been named in the list of 500 locations.
The retailer already has a store on Bury New Road, meaning an upgraded branch could be on its way to the town.
Other nearby locations named by M&S include Bolton North East, Oldham, Rawtenstall, Clitheroe and Altrincham.
Alex Freudmann, managing director for M&S’s Food division, said: “The strong performance of our new M&S Food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth.
“Our team want new sites where we could open a large M&S food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers.”
Upgraded stores are likely to feature an extended range of M&S Food, wider aisles for bigger shopping trolleys and larger car parks for more family shoppers.
It comes as the company looks to have stores “with the right space in the right places” as it looks to double the size of its food business and modernise its store estate.
To grow the food business, M&S is looking to expand the size of its Food stores to stock a fuller range and attract more customers to do their weekly shop.