SPARKS FLY
EK centre chiefs blast Marks and Spencer’ s push to fast track shutting up of shop
EK, East Kilbride bosses have hit back at Marks and Spencer after they announced they were to expedite their withdrawal from the centre.
And they have warned the retail giants that they expect them to honour their lease and “remain open”. But staff at the Plaza store were dealt a second blow just days later as the retailer announced it was to accelerate its restructuring with the loss of almost 1000 jobs across the UK.
As a result of the impact of coronavirus on trading, M&S said it wanted to “make three years’ progress in one” in delivering its ‘Never The Same Again’ transformation programme.
That news comes after we told you on Thursday how M&S accused their landlords of dragging their heels over announcing an exact closure date for the Plaza store.
It follows two years of negotiations
after the retailer announced in 2018 it was to axe the store there.
They warned customers last week they would start to see a“significant reduction”of what was on offer as they worked to find a“final date for the closure of the store”.
But EK, East Kilbride bosses say they have been doing everything they can to keep the store open, represented by the time taken to reach an agreement with M&S.
Retaliating to the announcement on Thursday, centre bosses said they “expect the store to remain open”.
A spokesman for the centre said:“We were surprised to read the recent statement from M&S with regards the future of the store in EK, East Kilbride.
“Our discussions over the past two years have been on the basis that the retailer will honour the terms of its lease and continue to operate in the centre, offering a full service to the EK community.
“M&S has been an important and well-loved store within EK for many years, with this depth of feeling underlined in a wide ranging community campaign following the store’s initial announcement in 2018.
“We understand this only too well and fully appreciate that we also have a responsibility to the people of East Kilbride to provide the best services we can. With this in mind we have made it clear to M&S today that we fully expect them to remain open in the centre.”
Already undergoing a cost-cutting transformation that would see the closure of some stores, M&S this week announced it was to cut 950 positions.
Following their 2018 announcement, the high street giant was accused of leaving its 67 Plaza staff in limbo.
That led to a backlash from unions and a campaign being launched to save the outlet. But after a week of public fall-outs and announcements of streamlining the business, the store’s death-knell seems closer than ever.
M&S director Sacha Berendji said: “Through the crisis, we have seen how we can work faster and more flexibly by empowering store teams. It’s essential we embed that way of working. Our priority now is to support all those affected through the consultation process and beyond.”
Store managers and head office staff are expected to be first hit by the redundancies, with M&S saying it had started collective consultation with employee representatives.
While there is still no date for the doors to finally shut in East Kilbride, it is expected‘only a small number of staff’ will remain at the popular store.
The announcement comes days after Zara said it was to leave, with Boots stores also under threat and a number of restaurants having closed in The Hub in recent months. Debenhams did confirm it would stay in the town.