Marks & Spencer to cut 7000 jobs over the next three months across its stores and management

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 18th August 2020

Around 7,000 jobs are being axed at retail giant Marks & Spencer as part of a further shake-up of its stores and management in the face of the coronavirus crisis — Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 18th August 2020 Around 7,000 jobs are being axed at retail giant Marks & Spencer as part of a further shake-up of its stores and management in the face of the coronavirus crisis

The company employs 2,800 people across 21 stores in Northern Ireland.

In a statement the company said the coronavirus pandemic had made it clear there had been a “material shift in trade”.

In-store sales of clothing and home goods were “well below” 2019, although online and home deliveries were strong.

According to the BBC, M&S said it hoped a “significant proportion” of the cuts - about a tenth of its workforce - will be voluntary redundancy and early retirement.

In a statement, M&S said it was “too early to predict with precision where a new post-Covid sales mix will settle. We must now act to reflect this change”.

But the retailer said operating during the pandemic had showed it could work “more flexibly and productively”, with more staff multi-tasking and moving between food, clothing and home departments.

Chief executive Steve Rowe added: “As part of our Never the same again programme to embed the positive changes in ways of working through the crisis, we are today announcing proposals to further streamline store operations and management structures.

“These proposals are an important step in becoming a leaner, faster business set up to serve changing customer needs and we are committed to supporting colleagues through this time.”

In May, Mr Rowe revealed plans for his Never the same again restructure overhaul as he warned some shopper habits had “changed forever”.

Its latest trading update showed a mixed performance across stores, with those in newer out-of-town locations almost back to pre-Covid sales levels, but town centre shops and some shopping centres still “heavily impacted” by social distancing.

While clothing and home sales remained steeply lower, it said food sales rose 2.5% in the 13 weeks to August 20 and also 2.5% higher in the 8 weeks since stores reopened.

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