- M&S is the first UK high street retailer to offer a one-year quality guarantee on all kids clothing, offering a full refund within 365 days
- As the UK’s most trusted brand, M&S is leveraging its market leading position in quality to grow market share in Kidswear – a category identified for growth
- The latest initiative forms part of Another Life, how M&S activates its Plan A sustainability strategy in Fashion, Home & Beauty
29 July: Today, Marks & Spencer has announced that all M&S kids clothing will come with a one-year quality guarantee*.
M&S has held an authoritative lead on quality perceptions in its kidswear for over four years. M&S is now so confident in the quality of its clothing, that it is the first UK high street retailer to offer a one-year guarantee on all kids clothing (excluding footwear and accessories), warranting a full refund within 365 days, if the product does not meet M&S’ high quality standards.
As the UK’s most trusted retailer, M&S goes to great lengths to make exceptional quality products at trusted value. In kidswear, this means products that are made well and made to last to ensure they are hand-me-down quality and can be passed on to another child and given Another Life. Across the range, M&S continues to incorporate intelligent innovative design features that grow with children, from growth proof hems to adjustable waistbands – as well as coats with space for three children’s names on the label. Plus, all kidswear continues to be responsibly sourced utilising responsible or recycled fibres; 100% of the cotton comes from responsible sources and over 90% of polyester is now recycled.
The one-year guarantee in kidswear forms part of Another Life, which was launched last summer. Another Life is how M&S activates its Plan A sustainability strategy across Fashion, Home & Beauty, bringing together its approach to circularity into one place with a focus on the four R’s; Rewear, Repair, Recycle and Resale. The new initiative, sitting under the banner of ‘Rewear’ focuses on offering families the confidence that their product is made well and made to last.
The initiative also builds on the 100 day back-to-school extended returns policy which M&S has offered since last year. The one-year guarantee will encompass all kids clothing – from baby clothes to kids’ joggers and t-shirts, as well as its market leading school uniform – to offer a full refund within 365 days.
Kidswear is a key opportunity for growth in Fashion, Home & Beauty and a central part of the wider strategy to acquire more family shoppers to M&S as it continues to broaden appeal and grow market share in kidswear. In the last two years, M&S has maintained its leading quality perceptions whilst also increasing value perceptions in kidswear by +5ppts over the last two years. At the start of this year M&S 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. Plus has continued to drive style perceptions, which now sit at its highest level in 10 years.
Alexandra Dimitriu, Kidswear Director at M&S, commented: “At M&S, exceptional quality products are at the heart of everything we do. Quality and durability is in our DNA, and is an important part of our Plan A roadmap as we move toward a more circular economy. In Kidswear, our customers have always trusted us for the hand-me-down quality of our clothing, knowing that every single item they buy, whether it is a jogger or a dress, a piece of school uniform, is exceptional quality and trusted value. With an authoritative lead in quality, we’re going one step further to give our customers the confidence that any item of kids clothing they purchase, it made well and made to last and can be given Another Life when their children grow out of it. As a mum myself, I know just how important this is.”
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*The guarantee covers manufacturing and material defects for a maximum of one year from the date of purchase and does not cover any issues as a result of normal wear and tear, loss or damage to accessories or accidental or deliberate damage.
For further information, please contact:
M&S Corporate Press Office: +44 (0)20 8718 1919 [email protected]