M&S pulls shutters down on nine stores

MARKS & Spencer is to close nine of its stores and is consulting with 430 staff whose jobs are affected.

Britain’s biggest clothing firm has already told workers at stores including Hounslow and Stevenage and staff have been offered jobs at other shops.

The firm said the move was part of a programme aimed at ensuring M&S has stores in the right locations. It is opening big clothing and food stores in locations including Glasgow and Banbury. The firm insisted there had been no change in strategy and that the closures were about improving quality of space.

A spokesman said: ‘We work hard to make sure our stores are in the best possible locations to serve our customers.

‘This year we are closing nine stores, opening 90 new Simply Food stores, relocating two stores and opening five large clothing and food stores.’

At its full year financial update in May it said it did not intend to expand existing shops or open new ones to sell clothes but would open food stores.

The firm is also closing five shops in Shanghai, China, for a similar reason but plans to open new ones at other locations in the country.

Sources say trading at its Chinese stores has been disappointing, forcing the chain to cut prices on more clothing items than planned.

An M&S spokesman denied this.