Marks and Spencer
This coverage analyses Marks and Spencer’s strategy, performance, and influence within the UK retail market. Reporting highlights store operations, product innovation, online developments, financial results, marketing campaigns, and leadership changes. With a focus on commercial impact and competitive dynamics, it offers insights for professionals managing grocery, fashion, and homeware retailing at scale.
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Jan- 2020 -31 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
Laura Ashley CEO steps down
Laura Ashley has announced that Kwan Cheong Ng will retire as the executive director and chief executive officer of the company on 30 April 2020. Ng, who joined as CEO in January 2012, will remain on the board as a non-executive director after his retirement. Katharine Poulter, who is currently…
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15 JanuaryAnalysis
Boohoo more valuable than M&S – a sea-change encapsulated
From a purely journalistic standpoint it is now a de facto cliché to refer to Marks and Spencer as the “high street bellwether”, yet that is the status it has held for so many decades. The once mighty monolith was the first British retailer to reach a market capitalisation of…
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15 JanuaryHigh Street
Moody’s downgrades M&S credit score to negative
Moody’s has downgraded Marks and Spencer’s outlook from stable to negative after it reported a 0.7% decline in revenues in its third quarter of the current financial year to £3bn. In referencing the decision Moody’s said that the “continued decline” in Marks and Spencer’s clothing and home like-for-like sales, which…
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13 JanuaryComment
How retailers can stand out from the crowd in 2020
The start of the year is always a good moment to reflect on what the months ahead – indeed decade ahead – might bring for our industry. It’s an exercise i’ve done many times and yet, this year, setting out predictions felt a little challenging. This is, at least in…
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9 JanuaryAnalysis
Who would have thought skinny jeans could be anyone’s undoing?
It’s not often that the business pages give you a good belly laugh. But today we have the spectacle of Marks & Spencer blaming its poor Christmas trading results partly on an oversupply of skinny jeans for men. Apparently customer surveys revealed that the high street bellwether’s ranges were “too…
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9 JanuaryDepartment Stores
M&S reports fall in festive sales revenues
Marks and Spencer has reported a 0.7% decline in revenues in its third quarter of the current financial year to £3bn , attributed to underperformance in clothing and home sales. For the 13 week period ending 28 December, the retailer reported a 3.7% fall in clothing and home sales to…
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Dec- 2019 -4 DecemberHigh Street
M&S partners with six start-ups through Factory Founder scheme
Marks and Spencer has announced it has partnered with six start-ups, as it marks the first anniversary of the M&S and Founders Factory Joint Venture designed to identify and accelerate emerging businesses. The six fast growth start-ups were selected from over 100 hopeful new businesses identified from Founders Factory’s global…
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Nov- 2019 -28 NovemberPeople Moves
M&S hires former Arcadia exec as head of brand creative
Marks and Spencer has appointed Anthony Cassidy as its new head of brand creative. Cassidyy joins from Arcadia, where he is currently creative director across a number of the group’s brands. Marks and Spencer said Cassidy has a “diverse” range of experience including both in-house and agency roles at Portas…
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25 NovemberHigh Street
M&S appoints CEO of Tesco’s F&F clothing as new managing director
Marks and Spencer has appointed current CEO of F&F Clothing, Tesco, Richard Price as managing director of clothing and home. Price will join Marks and Spencer next year, with his start date to be confirmed in “due course.” The announcement comes after M&S announced a 17% drop in profits to…
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6 NovemberHigh Street
Profits plummet at M&S as clothing sales slide
Marks and Spencer has announced a 17% drop in profits to £176.5m for the first half of the financial year, with continued slumps in clothing sales affecting the high street giant. The first six months of the financial year saw a decline of -5.5% in like-for-like clothing sales, despite the…
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