British retailer M&S could lay off as many as 950 staff in restructuring, in the latest sign of the pandemic's impact on UK high streets

• British high-street retailer M&S could cut up to 950 jobs to curb losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report.
• M&S would not confirm the job losses, but said 950 staff would be affected by a restructuring.
• The plans will make the company a "stronger, leaner and more resilient business," Sacha Berendji, director of retail, operations and property at M&S, said in a statement.

British food and clothing retailer Marks & Spencer could slash 950 jobs — the latest sign of the damage the COVID-19 pandemic is dealing to UK high streets.

A Sky News report said the company would axe jobs to limit losses caused by the pandemic. The company did not confirm nor deny the potential redundancies, but said a restructure "would affect 950 roles" in its central support teams, its field and central operations teams, and its property and store management teams.

The changes would remove "role duplication," free up retail staff to focus on customers, and provide "clearer leadership accountabilities," it said.

The plans would help M&S become a "stronger, leaner and more resilient business," Sacha Berendji, director of retail, operations and property said in a statement. They form part of the company's "Never the Same Again" programme — a phrase it coined during the pandemic to describe its future plans.

During the coronavirus lockdown, footfall at M&S plunged as consumers turned to e-commerce platforms.

The UK's high-end department store John Lewis, beauty retailer Boots, department store Harrods, sandwich chain Pret A Manger, and fast-food outlet Burger King recently announced job cuts running into the thousands.