Marks & Spencer is preparing to close stores and redeploying staff as it puts measures in place for months of distruption thanks to the coronavirus outbreak.
The firm also put all pay rises on hold and cancelled all discretionary spending as it warned that its clothing and home businesses will take a severe hit from the pandemic.
But the firm was adamant it would get through this.
"M&S has served customers without cease through two world wars, terrorist bombings and numerous local disasters and we are determined to support our customers now as we always do," the company said in a market update.
It added: "Our first priority is to support our customers and colleagues."
To do that, the firm said it would move staff from its clothing and homeware to food departments "wherever practical", as well as put all pay rises on ice.
It also praised their work in troubled times.
"We have one of the most loyal and committed workforces in retailing and are very grateful for the extraordinary cheerfulness and dedication they are showing in difficult times," the company said.
M&S also announced that it was getting ready to shutter stores.
"We are preparing for the contingency that some stores may have to close temporarily," the firm said.
"However, our business model of operating parallel Clothing and Food businesses and our strategy to move online including the Ocado joint venture should provide more resilience than some single sector businesses.
Marks & Spencer also said it was expecting the problems to go on for "at the very least" three to four months.
"At this stage we are not assuming a return to normal trading in the Autumn," the company said.
But despite the problems, the company was confident it would not only get through the crisis, but emerge stronger.
"While there are many uncertainties, we expect to come through this period in a strengthened competitive position," the company said.
"We have a strong Food business and can balance activity between our operations under the single M&S brand. We have a well-developed online proposition in Clothing & Home and a 50% shareholding in Ocado Retail, the UK's fastest growing pure play online retailer. M&S is a strongly cash generative business and has access to very substantial facilities and liquidity.
"The Board remains confident of the transformation programme and does not believe that the long-term value of M&S beyond the coming year will be impacted by the virus."
