Marks and Spencer to transfer 250 IT jobs as part of cost-cutting tech plan

Marks and Spencer is set to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to its Indian principal technology partner in an effort to save £30m a year by 2021.

As part of a five-year transformation plan, M&S has announced that 250 jobs will be transferred to Tata Consultancy Services, which is part of India’s Tata conglomerate.

The retailer said that this new ‘Technology Transformation Programme’ will “create a more agile, faster and commercial Technology function that will work with the business to deliver growth.”

Steve Rowe, M&S CEO, commented: “We are committed to transforming M&S for our colleagues, customers and shareholders by delivering digital-first retailing across our stores and offices.

“Technology plays a huge role in this transformation – and having the right partners and model will enable us to be more agile, flexible and responsive.

“Through our Technology Transformation Programme our business will be faster, simpler and more focused on achieving a seamless customer experience.”

M&S also announced that the plan will involve a consultation with an additional 30 other employees, whose roles are set to change. As a result, M&S will retain a much smaller technology team based in-house.