Type
Internal restructuring
Country
World
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
UK, China, France, Belgium, Hungary
Sector
Retail
Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles
Retail Sale Of Other Goods In Specialised Stores
47.71 - Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores

2,100 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
8 November 2016
Employment effect (start)
2 January 2017
Foreseen end date
31 December 2017

Description

UK retailer Marks & Spencer has announced a worldwide reorganisation plan that will lead to close 53 shops in several countries, mainly in UK (30 closures), China (10 closures), France (7 closures), Belgium, Hungary and six other EU countries. The plan will lead to 2,100 jobs losses on a total workforce of 82,204 employees. Since taking over as the new chief executive in April 2016, Steve Rowe has embarked on a program of simplifying the retailer’s structure. Earlier this year, he announced 525 job cuts at the group’s head office in London and a plan to shift another 400 jobs out of the capital. In the UK the group is shutting 30 stores and converting 45 more into food-only shops as part of a major business overhaul that will slash the amount of floor space devoted to its ailing clothing ranges. The retailer intends to put clothing and food on an equal footing with same amount of selling space devoted to both sides of the business. Currently two-thirds of its floor space is dedicated to clothing racks, which puts the British company in sharp competition with low-cost international fashion rivals such as H&M and Zara.


Sources

  • 9 November 2016: Les Echos
  • 8 November 2016: L'Expansion-L'Express
  • 8 November 2016: The Guardian

Citation

Eurofound (2016), Marks and Spencer, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 89074, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/89074.