M&S plans to close up to 14 stores
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Loading... - Ken Ma
- 31 Jan 2021
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Marks and Spencer is planning to close 14 stores and cut hundreds of jobs.
Six stores will close by April, including Birkenhead, Bournemouth and Durham. Staff have been offered jobs in nearby stores.
The closure of another eight stores has been proposed, which will affect 468 staff.
It follows a disappointing Christmas period for M&S, when sales of both food and clothing fell.
"Stores will always be an integral part of our customer experience, alongside M&S.com, but we have to ensure we have the right offer in the right locations," said Sacha Berendji, the retail operations director.
The six stores to close in April are Birkenhead, Bournemouth, Durham, Fforestfach in Swansea, Putney and Redditch.
The eight stores earmarked for closure are: Andover, Basildon, Bridlington, Denton outlet store, Falmouth, Fareham, Keighley and Stockport.
There will be a period of consultation over those shops.
Mr Berendji said M&S would "endeavour" to offer all staff affected an alternative job but added that "in some cases we may have to consider redundancy".
In November M&S said it would speed up plans to close 30 stores and today's announcement reflects that greater urgency.
It also announced plans to open fewer Simply Food shops than originally expected.
