After months of damaging speculation, Marks & Spencer has finally disclosed that general merchandise boss Kate Bostock is to leave the business.

After months of damaging speculation, Marks & Spencer has finally disclosed that general merchandise boss Kate Bostock is to leave the business.

The move in itself was of little surprise – chief executive Marc Bolland has been beating back questions about the future of Bostock almost as long as he has been in the job.

But the timing of the announcement, to coincide with the annual general meeting, only added to the pressure the retail boss was under this week to explain a continuing slide in general merchandise like-for-likes, and the lacklustre performance of clothing in particular.

The poor figures were, to some extent, overshadowed by the departure of Bostock, the latest and most significant in a line of high-profile exits from a retailer that many believe needs a period of stability at the top. But perhaps that was the point.

There is an increasing sense that M&S has lost its way in fashion. The growing credibility issue it has around the clothing offer is not only damaging relations with investors but, more significantly, with its customers.

Younger shoppers in particular seem to be questioning the retailer’s relevance compared with more agile and cheaper rivals.

Bolland’s response has been to promote much-respected executive director of food John Dixon to fill the hole left by Bostock, and to bolster his clothing offer by appointing former Debenhams and Jaeger boss Belinda Earl as director of style.

It has the potential to be a significant partnership. Dixon is M&S through and through, but also brings gravitas to the role and a reputation as a fixer, having led the transformation of the retailer’s food offer.

Earl, in contrast, with her mixture of high-fashion and high street experience may be the fresh blood that Bolland needs to drag M&S out of its product malaise.

The decision to part ways with Bostock may not have been quick but, by revealing it against the backdrop of poor numbers and alongside the wider shake-up, Bolland has been able to draw a line under the past and, more importantly, offer the prospect of a clear vision for the future.