Marks & Spencer announces plans to refocus its clothing strategy on the values that made the brand famous as it reasserts its leading position on quality and style with the launch of its forthcoming Autumn/Winter collections.
The vision to put quality and style back in to the heart of M&S’s clothing offer was unveiled by Executive Director of General Merchandise, John Dixon and his team as they showcased the Autumn/Winter collections and announced a quality charter that will align standard setting ethics with a confident design ethos. The move comes following months of listening closely to customer feedback and extensive research.
With an initial focus on womenswear, M&S’s new clothing strategy comprises:
- Reasserting its leadership in quality through significant upgrades;
- A planned transition towards clearer and more compelling sub-brands with the launch of M&S Collection;
- Style edit of the key trends for the Autumn/Winter season;
- Improved fashion and design credentials including the new Best of British range.
Customers will begin to see the changes from late July, when the new Autumn/Winter collections launch in-store and online.
John Dixon, Executive Director of General Merchandise said: “Today marks more than just the launch of our Autumn/Winter collection. It is the culmination of six months of extensive research that has seen us listen to our customers’ views on our brand and build on our heritage. This has reinforced that exceptional quality and confident style should lie at the heart of our clothing proposition and provide the M&S difference that our customers expect from us.
“This is our focus going forward that will reassert our position as a leading, premium fashion retailer.”
Belinda Earl, Style Director, said: “Being part of the team that has really spent time exploring our customers’ needs to rediscover the fashion DNA that makes M&S special and relevant is what excites me about my role as Style Director. Over the last few months we have learnt that M&S is a brand that should be looking upwards for aspiration and we are determined to do just that.
“Every woman deserves to look great and feel confident in her clothes. We are focussed on delivering quality, stylish fashions for our customers each and every time they shop with us.”
Marc Bolland, Chief Executive, said: “I’m really enjoying working with the new team and I am confident that we are taking a step in the right direction by focusing on quality and style.”
Quality
Exceptional quality is part of the renewed focus of M&S’s new womenswear strategy – with a commitment to deliver the M&S difference customers expect and to exceed their expectations on fabric, fit and finish.
M&S has invested in improving and upgrading quality across womenswear, whilst maintaining prices for its customers. The quality upgrade includes the use of better fabrics across its ranges. For example M&S’s market leading machine washable pure cashmere jumper has increased by 9% in weight and all basic cotton t-shirts have been upgraded to feature an exclusive STAYNEW finish which reduces pilling wash after wash.
Complementing its quality promise, M&S has introduced a host of brand new product innovations to ensure its clothes are made to last with a flattering fit and finish. For example all coats and jackets feature Ascolite button technology which prevents buttons from falling off; whilst Insolia technology has been extended across footwear ranges to reduce pressure on the foot and improve comfort and stability.
M&S has also reviewed its sizing blocks to give consistency of fit whichever style or brand customers choose to shop. For example there are now only six sizing blocks for all formal trousers compared to 16 previously and these changes will come through when the winter collections are launched in store.
The finish of products has also been improved. For example, visible seams have been introduced which will be upgraded from an ‘over lock’ to a ‘French’ seam for a neater finish and improved comfort for the wearer.
Introducing M&S Collection
This autumn M&S will re-launch its core clothing range with the introduction of M&S Collection, as the next step in the development of M&S Woman. M&S Collection will offer a considered edit of stylish wardrobe essentials with a renewed focus on great quality, everyday clothing.
M&S Collection offers customers the very best choice in confident, stylish clothing in an effortless, easy-to-wear edit. As part of this edit M&S has reduced the number of product lines by 10% whilst increasing the depth of its buy into key hero categories of dresses, coats, knitwear and formal tops and bottoms.
As part of the move, Limited Collection will be transitioned to Limited Edition and will form part of M&S Collection encompassing the same core values but with a focus on more trend-led design and the latest wearable, current fashions. The range will be updated every two weeks to regularly bring customers the latest interpretations of the key season’s trends.
Additionally, M&S’s Classic range will retain its brand identity but become part of M&S Collection. Classic focuses on elegant comfort and style with a more focussed understanding of today’s older customer and her style needs.
