UK retailer Marks and Spencer Group has announced plans to speed up the transformation of its retail management structure.

As part of this, the company expects to eliminate 950 jobs. The positions that would be affected are “central support functions in field and central operations and property and store management”.

Affected Marks and Spencer employees will be first offered voluntary redundancy.

M&S Retail, Operations and Property director Sacha Berendji said: “Our proposals reflect an important next step in our Never the Same Again programme to accelerate our transformation and become a stronger, leaner and more resilient business.

“Through the crisis, we have seen how we can work faster and more flexibly by empowering store teams and it’s essential that we embed that way of working.

“Our priority now is to support all those affected through the consultation process and beyond.”

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The retailer will focus on transformation priorities such as accelerating food growth through Ocado, creating a store estate, focus growth via M&S.com and food supply chain.

The company has a workforce of 78,000 and around 27,00 were furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

In a separate development, another UK fashion retailer Ted Baker reportedly decided to cut at least 500 jobs.

The move, which will affect both part-time and full-time roles.

Earlier this month, Boots UK revealed plans to cut 4,000 positions or approximately 7% of its workforce as part of its transformation plan to reduce the impact that Covid-19 brought on its business. 

Another UK Luxury department store Harrods also planned to lay off up to 672 employees earlier this month due to the crisis.