Marks & Spencer is to roll out about half of the initiatives it has been testing at its Bournemouth eco-store to its entire portfolio.

The retailer, which reformatted its 70-year-old Bournemouth store last October, will incorporate features including grass roofs and low-energy lighting into new and existing stores. A further 25 per cent of the Bournemouth initiatives will be tested at selected stores and the remaining quarter are still under consideration.

The move comes as M&S shareholders this week received an update entitled How we do business on how the retailer’s Plan A is progressing. Plan A director and main board member Richard Gillies said: “Plan A is a significant part of our business that is clear and auditable. It is a major part of our business strategy.”

He added that, while the green option tends to be more expensive usually, M&S was working hard to ensure that costs are kept down, saying green store design should be “democratised”.

M&S’s Plan A was launched in January last year and Gillies, a main board member, was appointed its green czar in March this year.

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