As more families choose to shop at M&S, the retailer has invested in the price of over 300 family favourite products – as it re-affirms its commitment to delivering trusted value and everyday low prices on the products that matter most to its 32m customers.
M&S already had an authoritative lead in quality and value perceptions in its clothing but has now extended its lead further. In Food, value perception is the highest it has been in over a decade and growing year on year.
This month M&S has reduced prices by up to 20% on over 100 products from its ‘everyday essentials’ Kidswear range to offer a first price, right price, with no tricksy pricing.
Key pieces include its bestselling Cotton Rich Hoodie (£10 formerly £12 for age 2-6 years and £12 formerly £15 for age 6-16) and Joggers (£8 formerly £10 for age 2-6 years and £10 formerly £13 for age 6–16 years) as well as range of Sweatshirts, Leggings and T-Shirts which now start from just £5.50.
The retailer is clear it’s reduction in price will not compromise on the M&S quality or high sourcing standards it is known for, as it continues to invest significantly in product style, fit and fabrics, replacing core fibres with preferred alternatives. All cotton in M&S clothing continues to be sourced through Better Cotton, organic- or recycled-certified, plus the entire ‘everyday essentials’ range has been upgraded with new and improved supersoft brushed fabrics for added comfort, with less prints and more stylish graphics. M&S Kidswear is designed to be durable to enable it to be hand-me-down quality or recycled through the M&S Plan A ‘Another life’ clothes recycling scheme. This is just one of the many ways M&S is driving a more circular economy, as part of its Plan A roadmap to net zero.
Alexandra Dimitriu, kidswear director, clothing & home said: “Now more than ever, customers are looking for trusted value. When it comes to clothing, we know value is more than just the product’s price – they also want confidence that it is made well and made to last and offers versatility. As more families choose to shop with us, we’ve focused on investing in the price and quality of our Kidswear to ensure our customers get the first price, right price.”
In Food, the retailer continues to prioritise Trusted Value, with over 200 products part of its three value labels: Remarksable Value, Bigger Pack, Better Value and Dropped & Locked. All these labels sit across core M&S lines with no compromise on quality or M&S’ industry-leading sourcing and animal welfare standards.
Over 100 everyday staples with an M&S quality point of difference are benchmarked on price against key competitors for the Remarksable Value Range. Sales of the Remarksable Value Range grew by 14% and volume by 11% from October to December, with growth from core basket products like Free Range eggs, milk and fruit. New Remarksable Value lines such as Chopped Italian Tomatoes (400g, 50p) and Italian Plum Tomatoes (400g, 50p) join other key core lines such as British Salted Butter (250g, £2), Fusilli Pasta (500g, 75p) and the most popular Remarksable Value line, Loose Bananas (90p per kilo), as part of M&S’ drive to become a shopping list retailer.
The Bigger Pack, Better Value range, designed specifically for family shoppers is being increased to more than 90 products as M&S continues to focus on growth in this area. In the third quarter, Bigger Pack, Better Value saw sales and volume increase by a third (+34% and +30% respectively) with growth from popular family lines such as 750g 12% British Beef Mince, £4.75 (+23%) and 350g Tenderstem Broccoli, £3 (+21%). New lines include:
• Select Farms Mixed Peppers (750g), £2.50*
• Large Mozzarella and Tomato Pizza (465g), £3.75*
• 2 Garlic Baguettes (420g), £2.25*
The brand’s Dropped & Locked mechanic which highlights in store where prices have been lowered and locked, has seen price reductions on several key lines across core categories such as Vegetables, Sliced Meats and Cheese.
M&S is also serving up wider value across the Food Hall including in its Dine In range, with more customers than ever choosing the restaurant quality ready meals (11% customer growth)1. In the first half of the year, M&S saw significant growth in popularity of its Dine In deals with a 20% sales uplift. The Gastropub range was relaunched in October and between then and December it became the most popular deal, with over 9m units from the range purchased.
The new Family Stir Fry Dine In, available in M&S Foodhalls** now is perfect for those looking to whip up a quick, delicious and healthy meal for the family. Serving four for just £6, this deal comprises a large veggie selection, large sauce and large noodle, that’s just £1.50 per person. With three of each product to choose from, there’s lots of options for the whole family to enjoy. This family deal joins the existing popular serves four Pizza Night offer, with two hand-stretched, wood fired pizzas and two side dishes for £12.
Kathryn Turner, product development director at M&S Food, commented: “Quality is at the heart of every decision we make at M&S Food, which is why we offer customers trusted value which to us means M&S quality at the best price. Whether customers are looking for the best everyday products on the market in our Remarksable Value range or a restaurant quality meal at home from one of our Dine In deals, they can trust that every product at M&S Food offers both great value and industry leading quality.”
1 Internal data H1 FY2425
