Almost 1000 jobs are at risk at Marks & Spencer as part of plans to reduce store management and head office roles.
On Monday, the high street retailer announced proposals to move to a “leaner, faster retail management structure” as part of its Never The Same Again programme.
At the retailer’s full year results in May, M&S said it intended to accelerate the pace and scale of plans to make three years’ progress in one.
The new retail management structure intends to remove role duplication, provide clearer leadership accountabilities, and will free up retail teams to “focus more on the customer”.
The proposed changes will affect 950 roles across the firm’s field and central operations, as well as its property and store management areas.
M&S said it has now started collective consultation with employee representatives and has set out plans to first offer voluntary redundancy to affected staff.
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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