How to get food listed with M&S using its business strategy

Marks & Spencer is an institution in the UK that’s diversified and grown to become one of the nation’s leading premium food retailers. But to thrive, the upmarket grocer, fashion and home furnishings retailer must further expand its overseas presence.

Here’s what food and drink manufacturers need to know about M&S and what opportunities there are available to be part of its offering.

The M&S group turned over £13bn last year, with food sales up 13% and volumes up 6.8%. Its food strategy is pivotal to the business’s future success, with new stores frequently coming online, including eight within its last financial period.

Four years ago, it announced the availability of its food range in over 100 new countries, with the launch of 46 flagship websites. At the time, this meant over 800 of M&S’s most famous products – like its Percy Pigs sweets and Luxury Gold Teabags – would be accessible to millions more consumers.

The retailer now, however, operates over 434 international stores, compared to 1,058 in the UK, and 39 websites globally. The business also more recently announced the strengthening of its international leadership team in a big reset.

As part of this, three new senior appointments were made, including Manish Kapoor as new managing director for India; Victoria Jones as international commercial director; and Richard Davies as international partnerships director.

Also read → Why is food and drink obsessed with India?

M&S’s international priorities

All three will report to M&S managing director Mark Lemming, who was appointed in 2024 to reset the international business and its priorities.

With that, Lemming’s remit is to build strong foundations to grow M&S abroad, through capital light partnerships and a multi-platform online business.

“The reset of our international business is focussed on taking the right time and actions to build strong foundations for sustainable growth and building an experienced global leadership team is an essential element of this plan,” said Lemming.

Added to this, Marks & Spencer also has 16 global franchise partners, used to boost the distribution and reach of its brand and offering, which run almost half of its overseas stores.

So what does this mean for Europe’s (and the world’s) food and drink manufacturers? And how can they game M&S’s food and international business strategy to their benefit?

Food and drink is pivotal to M&S’s success. “We have a clear plan, a clear vision for the future, and there is so much opportunity ahead of us,” said CEO Stuart Machin.

Its food model is focused on a tightly edited range and concentrated supply base. Though the retailer stands out, especially during holiday seasons, with a series of big innovation launches, including musical biscuit tins, giant novelty biscuits, light-up gin bottles and a host of other eye-catching seasonal exclusives.

What food and drink does M&S sell internationally?

In the UK, it has partnered with celebrity chefs, including its latest tie-up with gastropub chef and famed owner of Michelin-starred venues, Tom Kerridge.

And this year, M&S targeted the growing functional food and drink market with a range of food and drink products for brain health, while it has also tapped into gut health with the likes of milk kefir and berries shots, among other innovations.

International business growth, however, will be leveraged on the UK’s name. In recent years, it has not delivered consistently strong international financials, but M&S is “committed” to cracking the opportunity and expanding global reach as it set out to investors in 2022.

Currently, in most non-UK stores, food and drink is restricted to M&S branded products found on the UK shelves, including ambient snacks like biscuits, bottled drinks and alcohol, seasonal treats and teas.

However, smaller ranges of frozen and chilled ready meals, processed meats such as bacon and sausages, and frozen fish, pizzas and vegetables are also stocked. Though, again, these are products found like-for-like in UK stores.

Websites in various countries offer wider portfolios of food and drink for delivery and collection in store, such as Greece. Further afield, Hong Kong offers grocery shopping through delivery apps.

Though, the products available are exports from M&S’s UK supply chain, meaning there is little opportunity for local suppliers.

While M&S’s food and drink offering may not yet present significant opportunity to Europe’s food and drink manufacturers, as the retailer eyes expansion new avenues could emerge.