Marks & Spencer has hired a stores director of innovation and implementation who joined today, Retail Week can reveal.
Marks & Spencer has drafted in Elaine Cartwright for the role. She joined from fashion retailer New Look, where she spent more than a decade in various roles, rising to become retail director of the core UK and Ireland business.
M&S director of central operations Jayne Wall said in a memo to staff: “Elaine brings more than 20 years of senior retail experience, having led large store networks, omnichannel operations and complex transformation programmes.
“Elaine will help us raise the bar through innovating the retail operating model and transforming customer solutions, helping us to offer exceptional service all day, every day, to every customer.
“Elaine will spend her first month in-store through peak before formally stepping into her role in February, reporting into me.”
Appealing and well-run stores are central to Marks & Spencer’s omnichannel strategy and the retailer is in the midst of a programme to upgrade and relocate branches as appropriate, enabling it to offer customers its best assortments in the best environments.
Ultimately, M&S aims to operate approximately 420 food stores and “a more focused, productive” network of 180 full-line branches. The retailer reported in last month’s interim results that “relocations and extensions have generated strong returns and remain a priority”.
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