Marks & Spencer cuts 950 jobs as pandemic accelerates transformation plan
Marks & Spencer (M&S) announced this morning that it will cut 950 jobs as it accelerates its transformation plan during the coronavirus pandemic.
The retailer announced today that it will create a new retail management structure, which will affect 950 roles across central support functions and property and store management, in the latest blow for the struggling UK high street.
M&S has started a collective consultation with employees, saying it intends to offer voluntary redundancy to affected members of staff.
In May the retailer announced that the coronavirus crisis had accelerated its transformation plan as it set out its “Never the Same Again” programme.
Today, M&S said it expects the aftershocks of the crisis to continue into next year and beyond.
The retailer is aiming to become more “digitally focused” as it seeks to keep up with consumer demand for online shopping, which has also been accelerated by the pandemic.
M&S is the latest in a string of major high street retailers to slash jobs due to the Covid-19 crisis.
John Lewis announced last week that it will permanently close eight sites, including department stores in Watford and Birmingham, resulting in the loss of 1,300 jobs.
Boots has also announced 4,000 redundancies and the closure of 48 opticians stores, and department store Harrods said earlier this month that 700 jobs would be cut.
Sacha Berendji, director of retail, operations and property at M&S said: “Our proposals reflect an important next step in our Never the Same Again programme to accelerate our transformation and become a stronger, leaner and more resilient business.
“Through the crisis we have seen how we can work faster and more flexibly by empowering store teams and it’s essential that we embed that way of working.
“Our priority now is to support all those affected through the consultation process and beyond.”