M&S may close dozens of UK stores in shake-up

It is understood dozens of Marks and Spencer stores in the UK are to close as part of a radical shake-up.

Other branches of M&S could stop selling clothing under plans expected to be announced next week. A consensus of market analysts expect like-for-like sales at the firm's general merchandising division, with includes clothing, to fall by 3.9% in the second quarter.

New boss Steve Rowe is on a mission to try to turn around the chain's recent poor performance.

At this stage, it is unclear whether the retailer's operations in Ireland are affected by the overhaul.

In July, Marks & Spencer revealed that its clothing arm suffered its worst sales performance for more than a decade as it cut back on promotions amid a "weak market", with like-for-like sales plummeting 8.9% in the first three months of the year.

Mr Rowe - who took over from Dutchman Marc Bolland in April - is undertaking a wide-ranging overhaul of the business as he attempts to turn the retail giant around.

In August, Mr Rowe swung the axe on 525 jobs at the retailer's head office in a bid to cut costs. He later embarked on a major shake-up of staff pay in an effort to mitigate the impact of the National Living Wage.

It has also been reported that he is gearing up to shut dozens of its high street shops and phase out clothing sales at select stores as part of a major overhaul.