Abstract
Marks & Spencer is a British clothing and food retailer created in 1884 at Leeds (www.marksandspencer.com). It is the largest retailer in the United Kingdom and the firm is listed on the London stock exchange. The company was in a terrible crisis of growth in the early 2000s. Competition became an important threat, owing to the practice of offering the same quality products at a lower price (Kookaï, etc.). Frequent changes of management, decisions made too slowly and rapid changes in culture create difficulties in pursuing a clear strategy. The CEO Vandevelde and the retailer Holmes decided some strategic options during this period, such as the reorganization of its international activities. In 2001, the group decided to sell 18 unprofitable stores in Western Europe, and withdraw from France
