Marks & Spencer plans to axe 950 jobs in restructure of retail management

Retailer Marks & Spencer is to axe 950 jobs in a major restructure of its retail management.

The company, which has a store in Stamford and one in Bourne, today (Monday, July 20) announced plans to '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'.

It said the 'Never The Same Again' proposals would affect 950 roles 'across central support functions in field and central operations and property and store management'.

The retailer intents to first offer voluntary redundancy to affected employees.

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."