M&S chair Norman urges return to offices – ‘You can’t run a retailer from the sofa’

Despite the relaxation of lockdown, many offices are still deserted as employees continue to work from home. Footfall in London’s West End, for instance, is down around two-thirds year on year.

Norman told Retail Week: “We have to move on now and find some way of getting people to start using offices and meeting again.”

He believed it was a particular responsibility of retailers to encourage staff back into offices. He said: “I don’t believe you can run a retailer with 50,000 people working in shops while others are sitting at home. It’s about leadership too – you can’t lead from the sofa.” He pointed out the necessity too for head office staff to visit stores to keep in touch with life at the coalface.

M&S’ head office has remained open for essential duties and, increasingly, people who wish to return, at least for part of the week. The retailer is encouraging employees to spend more time in the office from next month but will take a light touch. Norman said: “There will be exceptions and each team will manage its own rhythm.”

The retailer has made use of new technology such as Microsoft Teams to enable staff to stay in touch and work efficiently but Norman said real-life contact was still essential. “For normal, warm-blooded people, there’s a balance to be struck,” he said.

Several retail leaders have spoken recently about the need for office workers to come back. 

In a column for Retail Week, Superdry chair Peter Williams said: “The shift towards working alone at home is OK to a point, but you are in danger of missing out on the nuance of conversations that create culture, innovation and team spirit.”

People are staying away in part because of fears about using public transport and because they have saved money by not commuting. Fortnum & Mason chief executive Ewan Venters has argued for a rail fare freeze and even free travel on London Underground for three months from September.