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PRIVACY
Retail & Consumer

Marks & Spencer profits fall 21% as clothing business struggles

M&S has told investors it took a £52m hit to profits in full year results, but is ramping up plans for its Ocado partnership

A Marks & Spencer store(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Marks & Spencer has revealed more plans for its future amid the Covid-19 crisis after reported a 21% slump in full year profits.

The popular retailer said profitability improved in its food business but profits dropped by more than a third in its clothing and home arm.

It told shareholders that it took a £52 million hit to profits due to coronavirus, while it estimated that costs and stock writedowns related to the outbreak cost it £212.8 million.

Group sales dipped 1.9% to £10.1 billion during the year to March, while like-for-like food revenues increased by 1.9% and its clothing business saw like-for-like revenues fall 6.2% as it was impacted by availability issues in the first half of the year.

Last month, the retail giant revealed plans for a "never the same again" overhaul as it warned the virus would impact trading for the rest of 2020.

It has cancelled late summer stock which will no longer be required, reducing its forward commitment at cost by £100m, and it said it had made plans to "hibernate" around £200m of unsold seasonal stock until Spring 2021 in secured storage facilities.

It said its predicted scenario for the rest of the year has the core assumptions that º£½ÇÊÓÆµ clothing & home will see a 70% decline in revenue for the four months to July and only a gradual return to original budgeted levels by February 2021, impacting annual revenue by circa £1.5bn.

º£½ÇÊÓÆµ food meanwhile will see a 20% decline in revenue for the four months to July, impacting annual revenue by circa £0.4bn.