M&S will now close 100 stores across UK

MARKS & Spencer is extending its store closure programme from 60 to 100 outlets, in a hammer blow for high streets.

The company is dramatically reducing the number of general stores to reflect the fact that customers are switching to online shopping.

It is feared the closures will be disastrous for town centres as M&S is considered essential in attracting consumers and boosting trade for other stores.

In Scotland, stores will close in East Kilbride and Falkirk. The company currently employs around 600 people in 49 stores north of the Border.

High streets are already facing a threat with the loss of chains

‘Distressing for the staff’

such as BHS and Toys R Us. House of Fraser, Carpetright and New Look are also planning to close many shops.

The increased M&S closure figure includes 21 branches that have been shut since November 2016. At the end of March this year, the retailer had 300 general stores, plus 696 Simply Food branches and 39 Outlet stores.

Sacha Berendji, M&S retail director, said the closures were ‘vital to the future of M&S’ and would make it ‘more relevant to our customers’.

The company said it hopes to redeploy more than 600 staff before considering making anyone redundant.

But David Gill, of shopworkers’ union Usdaw, said the announcement of more closures was ‘devastating news’ and ‘extremely distressing for the staff’.

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