Struggling high street retailer Marks and Spencer Plc is mulling a shake-up of its food operations to coincide with the appointment of former Asda executive Justin King as head of the section.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


A company spokeswoman stressed to The Independent newspaper that, “in terms of how he [King] wants to run the business, it is very early days.” She added however that, “with a business this size and with so many changes you can never say never.”


In order to further reduce costs and increase profits, the changes could involve putting more of its food contracts out for competitive tender.


Luc Vandevelde, Chairman and CEO of M&S, has already served a year of his self-imposed two-year deadline in which he proposed to have turned the group around.


Once a British staple, M&S has fallen from grace in recent years. Encountering mass demonstrations after announcing in March that its European operations must close to save the UK business, the company reported its third consecutive slide in annual profits last week, down 7% to £480.9m (US$681.6m).

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

At the same time, the group announced that it is preparing to move from its Baker Street Head Office in central London, sparking speculation of further job cuts as its proposed destination has less space for employees.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact