What difference will the closure of its stores abroad make to UK shoppers?
M&S says it can now concentrate fully on revamping UK stores. Two-thirds are scheduled to be refurbished by April 2002 in an acceleration of previous plans. This will mean more than a lick of paint. Expect more attention to food, home and beauty products. And watch out for the first womenswear collection from George Davies – the clothing “guru” behind Next’s early success and subsequently the popular “George at Asda” range. What’s the future of the more upmarket collections? M&S will return to selling only own-brand products. A diversification into designer-branded ranges – only introduced fairly recently – has proved unpopular and is being abandoned. A return to more traditional M&S wear – what it calls “classically stylish” clothes – is on the cards. Prices are expected to fall. How had the international businesses been performing? M&S has had stores in Europe since 1975 and operations in the US and the Far East since 1988. In the past year, sales had modestly improved – up 3.5% in n
