Marks & Spencer has said it is taking action across its food stores to cope with extreme heat of up to 45C, after “struggling” in last month’s searing temperatures.
Chief executive Stuart Machin told shareholders at the chain’s annual general meeting in London that fridges in some of the firm’s stores and foodhalls broke down because of the recent heatwave.
He said the group was reviewing its refrigeration and investing in new equipment to deal with even higher temperatures in the future.
Mr Machin said: “There’s no doubt we were struggling in those nine days of extreme heat.
“Now we’re investing in equipment in our stores to deal with temperatures of 45C.
“We’re reviewing all our refrigeration as well.”
Food stores and supermarkets across the country had fridge issues during the June heatwave, during which temperatures reached a new high of 37.7C, beating the previous June record from the summer of 1976.
It is forecast that temperatures could rise to 45C or even higher in the future.
The Met Office warned last year there was a 50:50 chance temperatures could soar to 40C in the next 12 years, as the risk of extreme heat rises with climate change, while far higher temperatures of 45C or more “may be possible” in today’s climate.
The Met Office announced a “plausible” forecast for a heatwave in June 2056 which showed peaks of 45C in England, having hit 40C in the UK for the first time on record in 2022.
At the AGM M&S was urged to reinstate its pay in line with the real living wage, after it did not meet the benchmark following this year’s pay review.
Shareholder activists ShareAction, on behalf of 14 institutional investors, called on M&S to return worker pay to the real living wage, with which the retailer has previously been aligned for many years.
M&S increased pay by at least 6.4% from April 1 for retail staff, boosting wages to £13.41 an hour nationwide, or £14.74 per hour for those based in London.
This left pay above the £12.71 UK-wide national minimum wage, but below the real living wage, which is a voluntary benchmark, designed to be calculated on the real cost of living, and is currently £13.45 an hour in the UK and £14.80 in London.
Catherine Howarth, chief executive of ShareAction, said: “We are concerned that the company’s most recent pay review has resulted in pay rates that no longer match the real living wage.”
She added: “The investors who have signed this statement encourage the company to build on its initial steps by strengthening its disclosures in line with shareholder expectations and by setting out a clear pathway towards ensuring all workers receive at least the real living wage again.”
M&S said while they look to be a sector leader in pay, they have faced surging cost pressures in recent years, such as the national insurance contribution hike and £40 million in new packaging taxes.
Chairman Archie Norman said the group may see pay aligned with the real living wage again “after next year”, but the group would “see how it goes”.
Mr Machin also announced that the group would open its biggest standalone food store on July 16 in Godalming, Surrey, with multi-temperature areas in herbs, organic and fruit, an in-store bakery and a kitchen shop.
