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Marks & Spencer facts for kids
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| Public limited company | |
| Traded as | LSE: MKS FTSE 100 Component |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1884 Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | London, England |
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Number of locations
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1,463 (2019) |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Brands |
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| Revenue |  £11,931.3 million (2023) |
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Operating income
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 £515.1 million (2023) |
| £364.5 million (2023) |
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Number of employees
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72,316 (2023) |
| Parent | Marks and Spencer Group P.L.C. (2016–present) |
Marks and Spencer plc (often called M&S or just Marks) is a big British company. It sells clothes, beauty products, home items, and food. M&S is based in London, England. You can find its shares on the London Stock Exchange.
The company was started in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. Today, M&S has many stores across the UK. Some stores only sell food, and M&S is known for its high-quality food. You can also order food online through a partnership with Ocado.
In 1998, M&S was the first British retailer to make over £1 billion in profit before tax. However, the company then faced some challenges. In recent years, its clothing sales have gone down, but food sales have increased. M&S has also closed some stores and reduced jobs as part of its plans to improve the business.
Contents
History of M&S
How M&S Started
Marks & Spencer began with a partnership between Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. Michael Marks was a Polish Jewish immigrant who came to Leeds, England, in the 1880s. Thomas Spencer was a cashier from Skipton.
In 1884, Michael Marks borrowed £5 to start his "penny bazaar" stall. This was at Kirkgate Market in Leeds. A penny bazaar sold many items, all for just one penny.
In 1894, Marks got a permanent stall in the market. He then asked Spencer to become his business partner. Together, they opened more market stalls in different places in North West England.
Growing Across the UK
A model of a historic M&S store from the 1930s at Bekonscot model village, UK
Marks & Spencer became famous in the early 1900s. They had a rule to only sell goods made in Britain. They worked closely with British factories. They sold clothes and food under the "St Michael" brand, which started in 1928. This brand was named after Michael Marks.
M&S also had a very good return policy. Customers could return unwanted items for a full refund, even without a receipt. This was very unusual for that time.
By 1950, almost all products were sold under the "St Michael" label. M&S was known for its quality. In 1948, they even created a Food Technology department to ensure food quality. The company's motto for customer service was: "The customer is always and completely right!"
M&S started selling Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings in 1958. They also improved their food quality by adding "sell by dates" to products between 1970 and 1972. In 1959, smoking was banned in all M&S shops to prevent fires.
Expanding Around the World
M&S started opening stores in other countries in the 1970s. They opened stores in Europe, like in Paris, France, in 1975. They also expanded into Canada in 1973, where they had 47 stores at one point. However, the Canadian stores struggled and were closed in 1999.
In 1988, M&S bought Brooks Brothers, an American clothing company, and Kings Food Markets, a US food chain. In the early 1980s, M&S was the first British supermarket to sell packaged sandwiches. This idea became very popular, and other supermarkets soon followed.
M&S in the 21st Century
Changes and Challenges
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An M&S shop in Inverness in 1998
M&S had its highest profits in 1997–1998. But then, profits dropped sharply. One reason was that M&S only accepted its own credit card until 2001. This made it harder for some customers to shop there.
In 2002, M&S started to recover. They began accepting other credit cards and launched the popular "Per Una" clothing range. In 2004, another company tried to take over M&S, but the bid failed. M&S then announced plans to sell its financial services business and focus on its main retail stores.
In 2007, M&S opened its largest store outside the UK in Dubai. In 2008, they opened their first store in mainland China in Shanghai.
Making Changes
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To save money, M&S closed some smaller, less profitable food stores in 2009. More store closures happened in 2010 due to low sales. These decisions sometimes led to protests from local communities.
In 2010, M&S announced plans to improve its brand image. They wanted to increase sales and invest more in their stores. They also stopped selling some clothing brands and electrical products. M&S also updated its website and introduced a new slogan: 'Only at M&S'.
From 2015 onwards, M&S announced plans to close many more stores. By 2022, over 100 stores were expected to close. In 2020, M&S also cut 7,000 jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, they planned to close another 30 shops over the next 10 years.
M&S also faced a big challenge with its Marble Arch store in London. Plans to rebuild it were blocked by the government due to concerns about heritage and the environment. M&S is fighting this decision in court.
New Leaders
In 2022, Steve Rowe stepped down as CEO after six years. Stuart Machin became the new CEO, with Katie Bickerstaffe as co-CEO. These new leaders are working to transform the company.
In 2022, M&S bought a logistics company called Gist Limited. They also bought the ideas from a fashion website called Thread to improve their own website with personalized recommendations.
M&S Archives
The history and records of M&S are kept at the Michael Marks Building at the University of Leeds. This archive has museum-style displays and special exhibitions.
M&S Offices
The main office for M&S has been in London since 1957. In 2004, the company moved to a new headquarters called Waterside House in Paddington Basin, London.
M&S also has other offices in the UK for different services, like IT and human resources. They also have offices in many countries around the world to help with sourcing products.
Social and Environmental Work
Plan A
In 2006, M&S started a campaign called "Look Behind the Label." This campaign showed customers how M&S was working ethically and environmentally. They focused on Fairtrade products, sustainable fishing, and eco-friendly dyes. All coffee and tea sold in M&S stores is now Fairtrade.
On January 15, 2007, M&S launched a big plan called "Plan A." This plan aimed to make the business much more environmentally friendly within five years. It had 100 goals to deal with social and environmental challenges. The slogan was "Because there is no Plan B."
Some of the goals for Plan A included:
- Becoming carbon neutral (not adding carbon to the atmosphere).
- Sending no waste to landfills.
- Getting materials from sustainable sources.
- Helping people in their supply chain live better lives.
- Helping customers and employees live healthier lives.
M&S also started charging 5p for plastic carrier bags in 2008 to encourage people to use fewer. The money from these bags went to charities.
Charity Work
M&S has supported many charities over the years. They have sold clothes to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. In 2011, M&S partnered with Oxfam to start a clothes recycling program.
In 2015, M&S teamed up with Neighbourly. This partnership helps M&S donate unsold food and other items to small charities and community groups. In 2020, M&S gave £100,000 to help communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
M&S Stores
Stores in the UK and Ireland
M&S White City in Westfield London (2014), one of the company's largest stores
The biggest M&S store is near Marble Arch on Oxford Street in London. It has a huge shopping area. The second largest store is in Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port. M&S also has smaller "Penny Bazaar" clearance stores, like one in Newcastle upon Tyne.
M&S has opened many stores in out-of-town shopping centers. The first was at the MetroCentre in Gateshead in 1986. In the Republic of Ireland, M&S has 17 stores and employs 2,000 people. Due to changes after Brexit, Irish stores are now stocking more Irish-made goods.
International Stores
A Marks & Spencer branch in Athens, Greece
M&S reopened its store in Paris, France, in 2011. In the Philippines, the Rustans Group runs 18 M&S shops. A new store opened in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2013. M&S also has over 300 stores in about 40 countries.
In India, M&S plans to open 100 stores by 2016. Lingerie sales are very popular there. In 2016, M&S announced it would close all its stores on the European mainland, but this didn't fully happen. However, they did close their stores in the Netherlands.
Marks & Spencer owns 51 stores in Turkey. In 2018, stores in Hong Kong and Macau were sold to a franchise partner. In 2021, M&S closed 11 stores in France due to problems getting fresh food after Brexit.
Types of M&S Stores
Full Line Stores
Most M&S stores sell a mix of clothing, home goods, beauty products, and food. The types of clothes sold depend on the store's location and customers. Many stores also have an M&S Café.
Food Hall (in-store)
All the "St Michael Food hall" supermarkets were renamed "M&S Foodhall" in 2000. These stores mainly sell groceries under the Marks & Spencer brand. In 2006, M&S started selling a few other brands, like Coca-Cola, for the first time in its history.
M&S also introduced self-checkout tills in its food halls in 2002. In 2019, M&S launched new "Food renewal" stores. These are bigger food stores designed to feel like a fresh market.
Home Stores
In 2007, M&S opened special stores just for home furnishings. These stores sell furniture, decorations, and other items for the home.
Outlet Stores
M&S outlet stores sell M&S products at discounted prices, usually at least 30% off. The first outlet store opened in Ashford, Kent, in 2000. By 2020, there were 25 outlet stores, often found in retail parks.
M&S Foodhall (standalone)
M&S Simply Food in Banstead, Surrey
An M&S Food to Go store in Sutton station, Sutton, London
In 2001, M&S launched smaller convenience stores called "Simply Food." These stores mainly sell food. Some larger ones also have a small selection of other items. Many of these stores are run by other companies under special agreements. For example, you can find M&S Simply Food at railway stations, airports, and some petrol stations.
In 2015, the "Simply Food" brand was changed to "M&S Foodhall" for larger standalone stores. In 2019, M&S announced plans to open more supermarket-sized food halls. They also lowered prices on over 1000 popular items to compete with other big supermarkets.
Online Services
M&S started testing online food deliveries in 2017. In 2019, M&S bought 50% of Ocado Retail Ltd. Now, customers can order food and some clothing items from the Ocado website.
Other Services
M&S also partners with other companies to offer more services:
- M&S Bank – provides financial services and credit cards, run by HSBC UK.
- M&S Energy – supplies gas and electricity for homes, run by Octopus Energy.
- M&S Opticians – offers eye care services, run by Owl Optical.
Product History
The "St Michael" brand was created by Simon Marks in 1928, named after his father, Michael Marks. By 1950, almost all M&S products used this brand. The "St Margaret" brand was used for lingerie and women's clothes until everything became "St Michael."
New materials were introduced over the years. Synthetic fibers like Tricell (1957) and Courtelle (1960) were used. Machine washable wool appeared in 1972, and Lycra hosiery in 1986.
The "Per Una" clothing brand was launched in 2001. It became very successful for M&S. In 2004, M&S bought the brand completely.
In 2004, M&S stopped selling some brands, like "SP Clothing" for menswear and the "DB07" children's range. They wanted to simplify their product range. They also stopped selling "Per Una Due," a version for teenagers, because it didn't sell well.
In 2008, M&S started selling other well-known brands like Kellogg's corn flakes. However, in 2011, they decided to reduce the number of outside brands and focus more on their own M&S products.
In 2021, Marks & Spencer bought the Jaeger fashion brand. This was part of their plan to add new names to their clothing section.
Marketing and Advertising
Early 2000s Marketing
When M&S faced difficulties in the early 2000s, they stopped using the "St Michael" brand name for their products. Instead, they used "Marks & Spencer" and introduced a new logo. The "St Michael" name was then used as a "quality guarantee" on food products and delivery vehicles.
Famous Campaigns
M&S has used newspaper and magazine ads since the 1950s. They became even more famous with TV advertisements featuring stars like Twiggy and David Jason. Twiggy first appeared in 1967 and returned in later years. Other famous people like David Beckham, Antonio Banderas, and Joanna Lumley have also been in M&S ads.
The food advertisements from the 2000s were very popular. They used the slogan "This is not just food, this is M&S food." These ads showed slow-motion, close-up shots of food with a smooth voice-over and catchy music. Other companies later copied this style.
In 2010, Dannii Minogue became one of the new faces of Marks & Spencer. Later, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Ryan Reynolds, and David Gandy also joined M&S campaigns. In 2014, M&S launched a campaign called 'Leading Ladies' featuring stars like Emma Thompson and Annie Lennox.
Digital Marketing
In 2018, Marks & Spencer started a "Technology Transformation Programme." This program focuses on using digital marketing to help the business grow.
Images for kids
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The coat of arms of Marks & Spencer, adopted in 1968.
See also
In Spanish: Marks & Spencer para niños