Create exceptional products

At M&S, we are a product-led business and creating exceptional products offered at trusted value our customers love is at the heart of what we do. As a result, this year in both Food and our Fashion, Home & Beauty businesses our quality perception remained number one among customers.

In Food, we always say - ‘if in doubt engineer quality in’. It's one of the things that sets M&S apart from the rest. This year we upgraded more than a thousand products, including entire categories such as Italian meals, deli and yoghurts. We also launched new food products almost every week in our Foodhalls – nearly 1,500 in total. From our nutrient dense range – developed by our nutritionists to pack in more nutrients per calorie – to our viral strawberry sando that sold 1 million units in just four weeks.

Now, our quality perception scores are the highest they have been, and the gap between M&S and the rest of the market continues to widen. However, we never forget that value remains top of mind for customers and we are constantly reinvesting in price and expanding our Remarksable value range further, and as a result our price index to the main supermarkets is the best and lowest it’s ever been.

In Fashion, Home & Beauty our formula is simple: deliver the best quality and style for the best price. In Womenswear our trend led pieces – driven by smaller, frequent capsule collection drops in stores – have been instant hits, with our Weave Mini Skirt (£32) the best seller of the most recent drop so far, and our Women’s Faux Leather Collarless Jacket selling over 4,000 units in just a few days, and extending our appeal to a wider customer base.

In Menswear style-led ranges are also us attract a broader audience such as our £20 rigid denim line, selling over 23,000 pairs online since January, We also launched a dedicated M&S Man Instagram channel in the year – helping us to reach a new, younger audience directly. Alongside style and quality, we are doubling down on Value. More than half of our spring summer fashion range is £30 or under, and in denim, a third of the range is under £30.

As these examples demonstrate, our continued focus is on getting product right by offering great quality and trusted value. By staying close to our customers and constantly improving our product, we are strengthening our position in the market, growing our appeal to a wider audience and building momentum in our transformation.