Marks & Spencer confirms 950 jobs at risk

Marks & Spencer has confirmed it is looking to cut hundreds of jobs as part of its ‘Never the Same Again’ restructuring programme.

The company said 950 jobs are at risk, across central support functions in field and central operations and property and store management.

Announced during the company’s full-year results in May, the ‘Never the same again’ strategy looks to accelerate Marks & Spencer’s transformation plan and aims to make “three years’ progress in one”.

Sacha Berendji, director of retail, operations and property at Marks & Spencer said in a statement: “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.”

950 Marks & Spencer jobs 'at risk'

Marks & Spencer furloughed 27,000 of its 78,000 employees under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Thousands of them have now returned to work though it is unclear exactly how many. It is also not yet known whether the company will accept the government’s Jobs Retention Bonus for those returning to work.

British fashion companies Ted Baker and Harvey Nichols are also set to cut jobs, according to media reports on Monday. It comes as the UK retail industry struggles to recover from the impact of months of store closures.

Photo credit: Photo credit: Marks & Spencer