Marks & Spencer chief executive Sir Stuart Rose will not take a bonus this year unless store staff also win a payout.

M&S directors, along with headquarters staff and store managers, have a separate bonus scheme to shopfloor employees, but the retailer confirmed that Rose would not take his bonus if shop staff fail to achieve theirs.

Doubts have been raised over whether the staff bonus will be paid out this year after the retailer suffered a 2.2 per cent like-for-like sales decline over Christmas.

Analysts believe M&S – and fashion retailers generally – have continued to experience tough trading since Christmas. On Tuesday, BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor data showed that clothing sales in January were down year on year for the fourth consecutive month, despite aggressive discounting.

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