Marks & Spencer has announced that it has now completed steps to secure liquidity for the duration of the COVID crisis and to underpin the recovery strategy and accelerated transformation in 2021.
In a statement the British retailer said that it is planning for the Clothing & Home business to be severely constrained during lockdown and highly uncertain trading conditions in a prolonged exit period.
In the absence of a clear basis for forecasting, the company stated that scenario planning and stress tests are based on materially subdued trading for the balance of 2020 in Clothing & Home.
Multi-Channel Food Operation
'M&S benefits from having a strong food business and the transition to Ocado supply is on track to proceed in September to form a multi-channel food operation," it said.
'However, Food trading has been adversely affected by lockdown due to the closure of cafes and slowdown in travel and some city centre locations,' it added.
Revolving Credit Facility
The company outlined that a formal agreement has been reached with the lending syndicate of banks providing the £1.1 billion revolving credit facility to substantially relax or remove covenant conditions for the tests arising in September 2020, March 2021, and September 2021.
M&S said that it has been confirmed as an eligible issuer under the UK Government's COVID Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), providing significant further liquidity headroom.
'The agreement with the banks combined with other measures we have taken means that under its base planning scenarios and even more adverse assumptions, the business would have significant undrawn credit available for the 18 months ahead," it said.
'As part of the planning for these measures and in order to provide for the uncertain outlook the board does not at this stage anticipate paying a dividend for the 2020/21 financial year, generating a cash saving of in the region of £210 million,' it explained.
The retailer is due to report its preliminary full-year results on 20 May 2020.
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