Marks and Spencer Group Plc plans to announce hundreds of job cuts in the coming week, Sky News reported on Sunday, citing sources.
The cuts would be part of redundancy plans that the company will be announcing in the coming days, the Sky report added, and part of a restructuring that could affect several thousand employees in the coming months. The report did not specify the number of jobs at risk. "We don't comment on speculation and, if and when we have an announcement to make, our colleagues will be the first to know,” an M&S spokeswoman said.
In May, when the pandemic hit, M&S was already in the middle of a new plan to improve its fortunes, including reviewing headcount, cost cuts and store closures. The company furloughed around 7,000 employees and announced plans to close about 100 to 120 stores.
Jobs At Risk
London-headquartered M&S will be the latest retailer to join firms like health and beauty chain Boots and department store John Lewis in warning that thousands of jobs could be at risk.
British retail faces more than 5,000 job cuts as retailers warned that customers were unlikely to return to their old shopping habits after the coronavirus crisis, in the latest blow to the country's ailing economy.
Covid-19 has put an intolerable strain on retailers, who are already battling high rents, business rate taxes, tight margins and a rapid shift online.
News by Reuters edited by Donna Ahern, Checkout. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
