- Skechers, Crocs and TOMS are the latest third-party footwear brands to join ‘Brands at M&S’ – with the introduction of more than 200 styles available to shop on M&S.com.
- The ‘Brands at M&S’ platform continues to grow at pace and is now home to over 60 third-party brand partners.
Today (Friday 2 June), Marks & Spencer has announced it is welcoming three global footwear brands Skechers, Crocs and TOMS to its ‘Brands at M&S’ online platform this season.
The US footwear brands join M&S at a time when each are delivering strong performance independently, with all reporting double-digit revenue growth. Skechers have grown their geographical footprint to become the third-largest footwear brand in the UK*, behind Adidas and Nike, whilst Crocs - best known for their hotly debated foam clogs - following a surge in sales post pandemic, are now one of the world’s top ten largest non-athletic footwear brands*. The third-party partners bring together comfort, style and brand credibility to complement and enhance M&S’ core footwear offer.
An opportunity for growth
The footwear market is worth over £14 billion in the UK and projected to grow annually by 3.92% between 2023 and 2027**. As M&S continues to reposition as a leading omnichannel retailer, it has identified footwear as a key opportunity for growth. With brands dominating the market - taking 76% in menswear and 45% in womenswear – M&S is utilising the strength of its nascent ‘Brands at M&S’ platform to carefully curate third-party brand partners to grow market share in footwear.
Footwear sales at M&S peak during the autumn winter season as customers turn to M&S for great quality boots and loafers, at a trusted value – however, the retailer currently under indexes in seasonal footwear, including sandals. By welcoming Skechers, Crocs and TOMS, M&S is filling gaps in its footwear offer by introducing a range of trainers, espadrilles, everyday sandals, and flip-flops for all ages - including kids as M&S seeks to grow market share in kids’ daywear, outside of the Back-to-School period, where the retailer is already home to school shoe specialists, Clarks Kids.
The brands will bring a combined 200 styles all available to shop on M&S.com, with free next day Click & Collect to more than 700 M&S locations. They follow the arrival of trainer brands ASICS, Hoff, Hoka and VEJA - which launched as part of The Sports Edit platform in February – and bring the total number of footwear brands now available on M&S.com to 15 – with brands now representing 16% of total footwear page visits.
Building strength in M&S’ core offer
As well as welcoming new branded options, M&S has been doubling-down on strengthening its own brand footwear offer too – which is shopped by over three million customers every year. In 2022, M&S welcomed Annie Dore, former Head of Buying at New Look into a newly created position as Business Lead for Footwear and Accessories, to bring together and reshape the categories with a focus on contemporary, versatile and accessible style. Over the last quarter, searches for footwear on M&S.com have grown by +21% versus the same period. The growth has largely been driven by casual trainers, with M&S trebling its market share on a core wardrobe staple for customers due to the flexibility to wear to work or on the weekend – the M&S Collection Leather Lace Up Side Detail Trainer (£45.00) is a bestselling line.
Richard Price, Managing Director of Clothing & Home at M&S commented: “At M&S, our footwear performance is at its strongest during the autumn winter – customers come to us because they know they can trust in the value, style and quality of our range – from leather boots to loafers. Through our Brands at M&S platform, we are building a carefully curated offer of third-party partners which enhance customers’ shopping experience and increase our style credentials. With the arrival of three global brands in the leisure footwear category, together with a refreshed and reshaped own-brand offer - we’re confident that we have a compelling footwear offer to win during the summer months too.”
ENDS
*Kantar, 52 w/e 26th June 2022)
** Footwear – UK Market, Statista 2023
Brands at M&S
The Brands at M&S platform has now grown to over 60 third-party brands, delivering over 50% in growth in Q3 and representing 8% of total Clothing & Home sales. The curated approach to selecting new brand partners is driving new customers, frequency and increased spend, with the majority of third-party brand orders also contain an M&S product. Whilst the brand partners have access to over 30m M&S customers, substantial customer data and engagement alongside omnichannel purchase and return opportunities.
- September 2020 – The first Clothing brand went live on M&S.com – Nobody’s Child
- January 2021 – M&S purchased its first brand – Jaeger – for £6m, (Jaeger then relaunched under the leadership of Fiona Lambert in October 2021)
- March 2021 – ‘Brands at M&S’ officially launched introducing several clothing brands including Seasalt, Sloggi and Sosandar
- November 2021 – M&S purchased a minority stake of the eco-conscious fashion brand, Nobody’s Child
- March 2022 – M&S invested in The Sports Edit
- February 2023 – The Sports Edit launched on M&S.com introducing ASICS, Hoff, Hoka and VEJA
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2023 Fashion, Home & Beauty