'A New Era For Menswear': M&S Doubles Down On Broadening Customer Appeal

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Submitted by IsobelLawrance on
  • M&S launches M&S Man – a social channel dedicated to men’s style as it continues to build style perceptions and relevance to a wider audience 
  • Social media is now the number one influence among men aged 18–34 buying clothing
  • Retailer credits the ‘Autograph effect’ for driving growth among younger customers

Worth £10.75 billion annually*, the UK menswear market is a major growth opportunity for M&S. With a 10.4% market share**, the retailer is doubling down on its ambition to broaden customer appeal, targeting a new younger male customer, and become the authority in men’s fashion. 

The power of social

Social media is now the number one influence among men aged 18–34 buying clothing and footwear***, and M&S is responding with the launch of M&S Man – an Instagram channel exclusively dedicated to men’s style - inspiring customers with styling tips and ways to wear, behind-the-scenes content, and a closer look at the latest collections. 

This customer group is also twice as likely to be influenced by fashion seen on social platforms or through celebrity collaborations. M&S will be ramping up its menswear ambassador programme, with a mix of new and familiar faces showcasing the very best of men’s style at M&S. 

Customers can expect to see more social content from Spencer Matthews, Ian Wright, Vernon Kay, Olly Murs and Melvin Odoom as well as new faces including motivational speaker and former Love Island contestant, Scott Thomas, and style influencers Stanley Dru, Tim Dessaint and Nathan Griffiths. 

Mitch Hughes, Director of Menswear at M&S, said: “We are building our authority as a voice in men’s style and doubling-down on our ambition to become the go-to fashion brand for men. 

“Through M&S Man and by partnering with some of the UK’s most stylish men, we’re broadening appeal and reaching a new generation of customers. All while continuing to deliver the exceptional quality, innovation, and value that M&S is known for.”

Exceptional product, trusted brand

M&S’s commitment to offering exceptional quality, innovation and style at trusted value continues this week with the launch of its latest Autograph collections.

The sub-brand has become the cornerstone of Menswear at M&S - synonymous with premium fabrics, quality craftsmanship, and timeless pieces. In three years, the Autograph business has more than quadrupled in value and now represents almost 25% of total menswear sales. 

Autograph has also been credited with broadening appeal and introducing new customers to M&S: in FY25, 52% of Autograph customers were new to the sub-brand while 5% were new to M&S. 55% of all Autograph customers are under the age of 45 (vs 37% of total Menswear customers). 

Best-selling styles include the £20 Supima Cotton Autograph T-Shirt - worth £20 million annually, and the Autograph Performance range - a modular wardrobe with day to night solutions, engineered with cutting-edge technology that has grown by 100% in under two years.  

Hughes added: “Autograph is a big part of our transformation journey, broadening our customer base by bringing new customers to M&S and strengthening our authority in men’s fashion. But it’s only part of the story: right across Menswear we’re introducing more style-led pieces, offering greater choice every month, and investing more deeply in the right sizes and our best-selling lines.”

Across stores and online, this Autumn/ Winter customers will find more newness than ever before, with around 1,800 new menswear options dropping each month (+200 vs last year), a greater focus on trend-led drops throughout the season and, following the success of previous MW campaigns, a +18% deeper buy on AW25 campaign lines compared with last year.

ENDS

*Kantar 52we to 20 July 2025
**Kantar 52we to 30 March 2025
***M&S Survey Source: March 2025 Total Sample = 2,000 Men Nationally Representative of the UK
 

2025 Fashion, Home & Beauty