Marks & Spencer is to scale back the number of branded food products on sale and put a focus on its UK business.
New ceo Marc Bolland announced the move in a strategic review as M&S reported a 17 per cent rise in half-year profits to £348.6 million for the 26 weeks to 2 October.
Marc Bolland, who joined M&S from supermarket Morrisons six months ago, revealed he wants revamp the store's website in his three-year plan.
The Dutchman said he wanted scale back the number of branded food products from 400 to 100 and boost sales in homewares.
The retailer has no plans to sell food online imminently but the number of Simply Food stores is set to increase and M&S aims for 95 per cent of the population to be within 30 minutes drive of a full-line store by 2015
Bolland said he wanted to boost international sales from £800m to £1 billion, but stopped short of announcing the opening of any new stores in continental Europe as has been suggested in the media and said their would be a focus on the retailer’s core UK business.
The M&S boss said: "The business is in good shape and we have strong foundations on which to build through evolution not revolution."
He said the group was launching an Only at M&S campaign, to push the retailer's own products.
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