Today, M&S has launched its first ever baby club – ‘the parent hood’ – exclusive to members of M&S’ loyalty programme, Sparks.
As more families choose to shop at M&S; family shoppers +24% in Food and with an expanding customer base in Clothing & Home, this year, M&S is doubling down on its intent to continue to broaden its appeal for families.
The UK baby 0-2 clothing market is worth almost £900 million each year; with M&S holding a 6% share in kidswear and sustained market share growth in areas including ‘newborn’ (+0.9ppts from 2022), the retailer has identified ‘baby’ as a key enabler to unlock further growth.
Trusted brand, trusted loyalty
As the UK’s most trusted brand, the retailer is bringing together the very best of M&S across Clothing, Home, Beauty, Food, its in-store Cafés – plus it’s family of third-party brands – to create a unique proposition for members of M&S’ loyalty programme, Sparks.
Free to join, the M&S baby club – ‘the parent hood’ – offers members the opportunity to save up to £250 each year. It is an opportunity to foster a community and acquire and nurture both new and existing family customers, increase frequency of shop and drive greater cross-purchasing opportunities amongst customers who don’t currently shop other categories.
Becoming more relevant, more often to family shoppers
M&S leads the market on quality perceptions in kidswear and continues to retain its market leading position on school uniform during Back-to-School season. However, this year, M&S is looking to grow consideration amongst its rising number of family shoppers at an earlier life stage – birth and baby.
The retailer’s renewed focus on baby – which has included giving the baby category a stronger presence in store through improved signage and greater space – has already driven double digit sales growth in the category in 23/24. The retailer now sells more than 1.1 million baby grows every year.
Unique proposition offering the very best of M&S, tailored for parent and baby
To set the M&S baby club apart, M&S has invested in differentiation and personalisation to create a proposition that is for both parent and baby and tailored to members’ journeys. From birthing bag essentials, choosing the right bra, postpartum wellbeing, nutrition for parent and baby, weaning recipes, styling, to activities for baby – ‘the parent hood’ brings together trusted value, recognition, inspiration & advice, and a sense of community, with access to exclusive offers from across M&S.
From baby grows to baby food
By joining M&S’ baby club and signing the ‘Parent Pledge’, members immediately receive 10% off M&S’ entire range of quality baby grows for 12 months, plus tailored offers across Clothing & Home, including maternity and nursing bras and bedding as well as products from Bloom & Blossom and This Works in Beauty. Whilst in M&S’ Food Halls, members will receive offers across specialist products from Pampers to Piccolo organic baby food.
Curating and completing
In 2021, M&S launched its ‘Brands at M&S’ platform to offer a range of carefully curated third-party brand partners which complement and M&S’ quality own-brand products. A range of partners including the UK’s leading and longest established high street nursery brand – Mamas & Papas, which joined the M&S family in 2023 – are also part of M&S’ baby club.
A sense of community
M&S is also leveraging its store footprint including its popular M&S Cafés into the proposition. Following a successful trial throughout June and July, members who want to build connections in their local community can attend weekly parent and baby meetups in participating M&S Cafes across the country. Each week, members can exclusively enjoy a free slice of cake with the purchase of a hot drink.
Created for parents, by parents
Alexandra Dimitriu, director of Kidswear at M&S, said: “Our customers trust us for the hand-me-down quality of our kids clothing and with our growing style credentials and a presence in so many communities, there is so much opportunity to grow our market share through appealing to new customers and introducing existing customers to more of what we have to offer.
“As a mum, I’m incredibly excited to be launching M&S’ first baby club – the proposition we’ve created by remaining laser-focused on what baby – and parents – need, when they need it, is something I wish I had access to when I was a member of the 2am club!”
Sharry Cramond, director of loyalty, food marketing and masterbrand, said: “The M&S baby club is the first of our special interest clubs for Sparks members, and we have big ambitions to make it the very best baby club in the country by bringing together the very best of M&S – from food, to clothing, to our cafes – and be a one stop shop for the UK’s incredible community of parents.”
