M&S confirms head of clothing to step down Marks and Spencer reshuffled its top management on Tuesday, confirming that Kate Bostock, head of all of its non-food, would step down as it reported its worst trading in clothing and homewares for three years. Ms Bostock will be succeeded by John Dixon, the high-flying head of M&S's food division, who had been a candidate to become chief executive when Marc Bolland was appointed two-and-a-half years ago. The appointment of Mr Dixon as executive director for general merchandise, which will give him experience of clothing, cements his position as heir apparent to Mr Bolland. In a surprise move, Belinda Earl, the former chief executive of Debenhams and Jaeger, will also join as style director working two to three days a week, to bring fresh flair to M&S's clothing ranges. Ms Bostock will pursue "other interests," according to the company. The experienced clothing executive, in tune with the core M&S customer, has been courted by Asos and also held early-stage talks with New Look, but could take some time off. She will leave on October 1. The FT revealed 10 days ago that Ms Bostock was due to step down at the annual meeting, after tensions for more than a year. M&S also confirmed its worst trading for three years, with sales of clothing and homewares from stores open at least a year down 6.8 per cent, the weakest since the 2008-2009 financial year. UK like-for-like food sales rose 0.6 per cent for the three months to the end of June. Steve Rowe, a long-standing M&S director, will take over as head of food. The reshuffle raised eyebrows in the retail sector, given that Mr Dixon has no experience of clothing. It means that both Mr Bolland and now the head of M&S's non-food division, which accounts for the lion's share of profit, come from a food rather than fashion background. Ms Earl's last role was also as chief executive of Jaeger and Aquascutum. Jaeger was sold to Better Capital in April, while Aquascutum went into administration. She stepped down from Jaeger and Aquascutum last November because of poor health. Some retailers questioned whether she had the right skills to revive M&S's womenswear, which has lost market share over the past three months. However, others thought she would be well suited to M&S's audience. Mr Bolland denied that the reshuffle was an admission that M&S had got its womenswear offering wrong. "I think we have great styles but we can go further with that, and Belinda will help us there," he said. Mr Bolland said the clothing performance had been hit by recent unseasonal weather which had deterred customers from buying summer tops and linen garments. However, he insisted: "I have not found excuses [about the weather]. I just highlight it. Alan Stewart, finance director, said M&S had also been hit by a continuation of stock shortages, which plagued the final quarter of its last financial year. It did not have enough summer jumpers and block printed tops. However, some analysts have been questioning whether M&S identified the right trends this summer. Sales at Per Una are thought to have been particularly hard hit over the past three months.