MARKS AND SPARKS TO CLOSE 100 STORES

BY KEITH McLEOD k.mcleod@dailyrecord.co.uk TWO major Marks & Spencer stores in Scotland are to close as the retail giants ramp up their downsizing programme and put thousands of jobs at risk.

The Falkirk shop and the main outlet in East Kilbride are to go as part of the firm’s plan to shed 100 stores by 2022. The Falkirk store has 90 employees and there are 67 staff in East Kilbride.

Consultations are to begin but bosses insist staff will be redeployed or offered redeployment before redundancies are considered.

The shop workers’ union Usdaw described the announcement as “extremely distressing.”

As well as the potential for significant job losses, the closures will deal another blow to Scots town centres already battling out-of-town outlets and online sales.

There are 97 M&S stores in Scotland, supporting 6500 workers.

As well as the planned closures of large clothes and home styles branches, the company have also scaled back their planned expansion of food outlets.

Falkirk and East Kilbride were named in a list of 14 stores – with 900 staff – to go in the coming months. The others are down south.

The move is part of a five-year turnaround plan led by chairman Archie Norman and chief executive Steve Rowe.

Their clothes and home stores have been underperforming for some time.

Sacha Berendji, retail and property director at M&S, said: “We are making good progress with our plans to reshape our store estate to be more relevant to our customers and support our online growth plans. Closing stores isn’t easy but it is vital for the future of M&S.”

David Gill, national officer for Usdaw, said: “This salami-slicing