Marks & Spencer is eyeing up six former Debenhams sites in a major shake-up of its 110 stores as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The retailer will close a further 30 stores, with the majority of these sites set for relocation, it has said in a trading update.
That number is on top of the 59 it has either closed or relocated as part of accelerated transformation plans as a result of losses weathered during repeated lockdowns.
M&S said the impact of the pandemic has provided it with a strong opportunity to purchase new locations, with the group currently targeting six new stores in former Debenhams units.
Debenhams almost a year after going into administration.
Its brand, ecommerce operations and assets were purchased by Boohoo Group in a £55million deal in January that did not include Debenham’s store estate.
The group current has 254 full-line stores, which sell food and clothing, but it plans to reduce this to around 180 over the next 10 years, with some of these being replaced by food-only or purely clothing and home sites.
The update came as M&S tumbled to a £201.2 million pre-tax loss for the year to March 27 after its clothing and home business was particularly hammered by pandemic restrictions.
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It follows a £67.2 million statutory profit in the previous year.
The group told shareholders that total revenues dropped after this slump offset an improvement in its food operations.
It reported that food like-for-like revenues increased by 1.3% over the past year but the company saw its clothing and home business report a 31.5% slump despite 53.9% online growth.
Clothing and home operations saw a £129.4 million operating loss, although M&S said the performance improved in the second half of the year.
These sales have also returned to growth since the reopening of all stores on April 12, M&S said.
Meanwhile, the company said it was buoyed by its food business, which saw 6.9% growth excluding its hospitality and franchise arms.
It also hailed a strong integration with Ocado after the two companies launched their online grocery joint venture last September.
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The retailer said its balance sheet is also “stronger than expected” following the impact of the pandemic.
Steve Rowe, chief executive at Marks & Spencer, said: “In a year like no other we have delivered a resilient trading performance, thanks in no small part to the extraordinary efforts of our colleagues.
“In addition, by going further and faster in our transformation through the Never The Same Again programme, we moved beyond fixing the basics to forge a reshaped M&S.
“With the right team in place to accelerate change in the trading businesses and build a trajectory for future growth, we now have a clear line of sight on the path to make M&S special again.
“The transformation has moved to the next phase.”
The group also said it expects to be hit by between £42 million and £47 million in Brexit costs for the current year, particularly affecting its business in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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