Under-pressure M&S set to unveil another decline in sales

Marks & Spencer is expected to report on another difficult quarter for its beleaguered clothing arm next week, with boss Steve Rowe also tipped to update the market on plans for the retailer's domestic and international stores.
Marks & Spencer.Marks & Spencer.
Marks & Spencer.

A consensus of City analysts expect like-for-like sales at the firm’s general merchandising division, with includes clothing, to fall by 3.9 per cent in the second quarter.

In July, Marks & Spencer revealed that its clothing arm suffered its worst sales performance for more than a decade as it cut back on promotions amid a “weak market”, with like-for-like sales plummeting 8.9 per cent in the first three months of the year.

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Mr Rowe - who took over from Dutchman Marc Bolland in April - is undertaking a wide-ranging overhaul of the business as he attempts to turn the retail giant around.

In August, Mr Rowe swung the axe on 525 jobs at the retailer’s head office in a bid to cut costs. It has also been reported that he is gearing up to shut dozens of its high street shops and phase out clothing sales at select stores as part of a major overhaul.

Kate Calvert, analyst at Investec, said: “Steve Rowe will give part two of his strategic update on November 8. Having set his first priority as reviving clothing sales in May, he is due to come back to the ideal UK store estate in a multi-channel world, international, operations, and capital returns.

“We believe the market already anticipates action in all these areas and is likely to focus on weak trading and profit decline.”

Investec is pencilling in a 23 per cent fall in half-year underlying pre-tax profits to £218 million.

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