The Mail 28/01/19

High Street overhaul as ‘perfect storm’ hits: M&S, Tesco and B&Q mull shake-up as they battle to survive. Some of Britain’s biggest store chains are plotting major overhauls as they battle to survive the crisis on the High Street. Marks & Spencer Group (MKS), Tesco (TSCO) and B&Q owner Kingfisher (KGF) are among those mulling a shake-up amid a ‘perfect storm’ that is battering the sector. M&S is looking to halt years of declining sales by introducing food deliveries with Ocado Group (OCDO) in a deal that could see Waitrose get pushed out of the picture. M&S chairman Archie Norman and chief executive Steve Rowe, who are in the process of closing at least 100 stores, are understood to be in talks with the delivery firm and its chairman Stuart Rose, who ran M&S from 2004 to 2010. Meanwhile, Big Four supermarket Tesco is considering axing up to 15,000 jobs in the latest round of cost cutting that would see it overhaul the delis and bakeries at its 732 larger stores. The pressure is also ramping up on the chief executive of Kingfisher, Veronique Laury, to deliver on her cost-cutting plan for the B&Q owner amid reports that the board of directors has lost faith and is considering sacking her.