Marks & Spencer : M&S ANNOUNCES PROPOSALS TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF ITS RETAIL MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

At its full year results in May, M&S outlined plans to accelerate the pace and scale of the transformation plan and make three years' progress in one. As part of this, the business committed to integrate more flexible management structures into its store operations. M&S is now proposing to implement these changes and create a new retail management structure that is fit for the future-removing role duplication, providing clearer leadership accountabilities and freeing up its retail teams to focus more on the customer.

The proposed changes would affect 950 roles across central support functions in field and central operations and property and store management. M&S has now started collective consultation with its employee representative group and has set out its intention to first offer voluntary redundancy to affected colleagues.

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.'

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For further information, please contact:

M&S External Communications
0208 718 1919
[e-mail]

Notes to Editors:

The proposed changes would reduce management layers, and through better use of technology and insight would empower store management roles to be more focused on the customer and enable more time on the shop floor. Under the new structure, each store manager would have full accountability in driving stand-out customer service, ownership of their P&L, leading a high performing team and ensuring the standards of their store.

Never the Same Again:

• The aim of M&S' transformation is to restore M&S to sustainable profitable growth, and this has not changed. At its Prelims results in May, M&S set out its Never the Same Again Programme-designed to use the lessons of the Covid-19 crisis and radically accelerate the pace and ambition of its transformation plan.
  
  
• The aftershocks of the crisis will endure for the next year and beyond and whilst some consumer habits will return to normal, other have been changed forever. The trend towards digital has been accelerated and changes to the shape of the high street have been brought forward. Through the crisis M&S learned valuable lessons; operating as a faster more efficient and more digitally focused business and responded with pace and agility to meet changing customer needs
  
  
• Under its Never the Same Again programme, M&S is determined to make these positives permanent and accelerate the parts of its transformation to drive the opportunities in a changed consumer landscape and ensure M&S is changing for good.
  
  
  • M&S will never be the same again in how it works and operates; with a leaner, stronger leadership, faster more flexible ways of working, a stronger digital connection between the centre and frontline.
    
    
  • And is focused on its accelerated transformation priorities.

1: Accelerating food growth through Ocado

2: Unlocking value through our food supply chain

3: Accelerating everyday style and value

4: Turbocharging growth through M&S.com

5: Creating a store estate for the new world