M&S has confirmed a major change to its food stores as the UK heatwave begins. The retailer, which has stores in Birmingham and Solihull, has invested in fridges that can cope with weather as hot as 45C.
CEO Addresses Heatwave Challenges
“There is no doubt we were struggling in the nine days of [recent] extreme heat,” Stuart Machin, the chief executive of the food, fashion, beauty and homewares retailer, told shareholders at the group’s annual meeting in London on Tuesday. Machin said the group was investing in kit that could cope with 45C heat as the company was “assuming it’s going to get hotter”.
Security Investments and Crime Prevention
He said M&S had invested millions of pounds in increasing the number of security guards employed through a third party, with those workers “trained in how to treat customers”. M&S is also investing in systems to tackle “petty crime”, such as when customers take items they have not scanned and paid for at self-service tills.
Fashion Feedback from Shoppers and Family
He added that after feedback from shoppers and his “stylish 78-year-old” mother, M&S was ensuring that its autumn and winter fashion ranges would have items that “cover the tum, tops and bum”.
Met Office Heatwave Forecast
It comes as the Met Office predicts a third heatwave of the summer, with its July 12 to July 21 outlook explaining: “Southern areas are likely to start this period very warm, locally hot in the southwest, with heatwave conditions persisting. Somewhat cooler to the north and cloudy with periods of rain and drizzle in the far north. Into the following week, high pressure is likely to build to the north or northwest of the UK, though its exact orientation is rather more uncertain. This would bring a lot of dry weather for many areas, though perhaps an increased chance, relative to previous days, of showers or thunderstorms in the south. Temperatures probably moderating a little, though remaining above average for many areas.”
The July 22 to August 5 outlook added: “High pressure is more likely than low pressure for much of July, probably bringing settled and drier conditions. Occasionally this dry and warm weather could be interrupted by outbreaks of rain and stronger winds, which will be more probable in the north or west. As is typical for the time of year, there is a risk of heavy, thundery showers during any warm spells. The signal for predominantly settled weather becomes increasingly unclear towards the end of July. This means unsettled interruptions may become more common, but confidence at this range is low. In any case, temperatures are likely to be above average overall, with a greater than normal chance of hot conditions developing at times, especially in the south.”
