More than 1,000 jobs at Marks & Spencer are at risk as the retailer announced its latest round of store closures as part of a drastic transformation plan.
The retailer released a list of 17 stores proposed for closure on Tuesday, in a move which will affect 1,045 employees.
As part of an accelerated store closure programme, M&S is on track to close over 100 stores.
Of these, 30 have already closed and 25 have been announced including Tuesday’s list.
The 17 stores set to close are: Ashford, Barrow, Bedford, Boston, Buxton, Cwmbran, Deal, Felixstowe, Huddersfield, Hull, Junction One Antrim Outlet, Luton Arndale, Newark, Northwich, Rotherham, Sutton Coldfield and Weston Super Mare.
M&S said it will enter a period of consultation with affected employees, with the intention of retaining as many as possible.
To date, 1,891 workers have been impacted by the closures but the company said 1,591 of them – over 80% – had been been redeployed to new roles.
Sacha Berendji, retail, operations and property director at Marks & Spencer, said: “We’re continuing to transform M& S with pace and as part of this we are making good progress with our plans to close over 100 stores – radically reshaping our store estate to become more relevant for our customers.
“Proposing to close stores is never easy, for our colleagues, customers or the local community, but it is vital for the future of M&S. Where we have closed stores, we are continuing to see an encouraging number of customers choosing other nearby locations and shopping on M&S.com.”
