Marks & Spencer is freezing all pay rises and suspending non-essential spending after warning how the coronavirus pandemic will hit clothing and home line sales.
Shares at the high street stalwart are currently down 3.79% to 111.60p after revealing how profit will now likely be at the lower end of its expectations, even as it slashed spending.
In a stock market statement, the firm said: “Whilst we remain confident that the post-crisis future of the business and our transformation programme remains as strong as ever, trading over the next nine to 12 months in our clothing and home and international businesses is likely to be severely impacted.”
It said staff members from its clothing and home segments would be moved into the food halls “wherever practical” and all pay increases would be deferred.
It will also only spend around £80 million on capital projects in the 2020/21 financial year, from a budget of up to £400 million.
The business also announced plans to grow online, saying: “We are the UK's second largest online clothing business and the largest in many essential product categories, so will use this opportunity to increase our online penetration.”
The retailer said that it was still on track to reach its full-year forecasts until this week. But it warned on Friday that profit before tax is likely to be at the lower end of its predicted £440 million to £460 million due to the “probable very depressed trading in clothing and home”.
Food sales have done better, but customers looking for tins and other durable goods have turned elsewhere as M&S focuses on fresh and chilled good.
The board also said it does not expect to pay a dividend this year.
It added: “It is not possible to provide meaningful guidance on future earnings, although we are taking every step to secure future value for shareholders, colleagues and suppliers.”
