1,000 M&S staff face the axe in jobs massacre

MARKS & SPENCER is preparing to lay off nearly 1,000 staff after the virus crisis forced it to accelerate its plans to slash running costs.

The 136-year-old chain has warned it could close more of its stores as it becomes one of the most high-profile casualties of the Covid lockdown so far.

Thousands of job cuts have already been announced by a string of high street stalwarts including Boots, John Lewis and Topshop owner Arcadia.

M&S, which was already struggling before the crisis hit, had been preparing a major overhaul to become a ‘stronger, leaner’ business.

But it said the virus crisis has forced it to squeeze the rationalisation, meant to last three years, into just one.

Yesterday, the chain announced 950 staff face the axe in the first phase of the cuts, but there are fears thousands more will ultimately be laid off.

The first cuts will affect store managers and head office staff.

M&S said the shake-up will help ‘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’.

Sacha Berendji, director of retail, operations and property at M&S, said: ‘Through the crisis we have seen how we can work faster and more flexibly, by empowering store teams and it’s essential we embed that way of working.

‘Our priority now is to support all those affected through the consultation process.’