Marks & Spencer eliminates fashion boss Jill McDonald

Marks & Spencer ousted his house and clothing boss, Jill McDonald, who spent two years trying to fix the situation.

Executive Director Steve Rowe will succeed McDonald in the short term.

He added that the firm should "tackle the long-standing problems of our clothing and home supply chain with respect to product availability and flow".

Ms. McDonald had previously held senior management positions at Halfords and McDonald's.

"His lack of skills in buying clothes and in the supply chain seems to be the problem.But the problem already existed before his arrival, is not it?" Global Data Retail Analyst Maureen Hinton tweeted.

Ms. McDonald joined Marks & Spencer in the fall of 2017, as she embarked on a major turnaround plan that saw her close stores and reorganize her management.

The appointment of Jill McDonald was a surprise.

The former boss of Halfords had been parachuted into one of the toughest jobs in retail, with no fashion experience.

We were told that she had been hired for her "first-rate customer knowledge" and her experience in managing successful teams. In the end, that was not enough.

Marks & Spencer still has not settled the basics regarding his very important clothing business.

Availability, for example, remains a big problem. It is clear that she was not able to act quickly enough to tackle her longstanding problems.

At present, General Manager Steve Rowe has taken direct control of this division until a successor is found.

Despite the turnaround plan, profits continued to fall and Mr. Rowe said this week that the year had been "troubled" for the company 's vital division of clothing and home.

At the company's annual general meeting on Tuesday, he listed the main failures, including not buying enough jeans for a February promotion.

"This has led to the worst availability of casual pants in my life," he said.

However, he also stated that the clothing ranges have improved in terms of fit, style and value.

"The continuation of the work [is needed] to obtain correct size reports, making sure to reduce the number of lines we use [and] focusing on the main lines that are the hallmark of the United Kingdom, "he added.

Significant failure

Rowe said Marks & Spencer had developed a strong apparel team, praising Jill Stanton, director of women and children, and Wes Taylor, director of men's clothing, who had been hired in 2018.

However, he did not mention Ms. McDonald's name.

After several unsuccessful launches over the past decade, 135-year-old M & S faces challenges in its apparel sector from fashion chains such as Zara and H & M.

In May, M & S announced a third consecutive drop in annual profits and a 1.6% decline in its clothing and comparable home sales. Its shares are down 30% compared to last year.

In announcing Ms. McDonald's departure from the company, Mr. Rowe said that she had "recruited a talented team, improved the quality and style of the product and set a clear direction for that" business can attract a younger clientele, family ".

Ascending struggle

Hinton told the BBC that Marks & Spencer brand clothing has been losing market share for years. Whoever is entrusted with the next division "faces a real challenge".

"Even those before [Ms McDonald] with strong clothes, could not attract the buyers who had abandoned her for the benefit of other retailers and brands that offer ranges and stores much more attractive, "she said.

The management of Marks & Spencer knew that Ms. McDonald had no fashion experience when they hired her, Ms. Hinton said.

"You would have thought that there would be experience and support in the company to make up for its lack in this area," Ms. Hinton said.

"But that does not seem to be the case – which is even more worrying since these issues have long been described by Marks & Spencer," she added.