Marks and Spencer 2007 Annual Report Download - page 14

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INNOVATION
12 MARKS AND SPENCER GROUP PLC www.marksandspencer.com/annualreport2007
product
Our technologists work closely
with suppliers to introduce new,
innovative products, which have
real practical benefits for our
customers.
This year, we launched our
exclusive men’s ‘Stormwear’
range which is made with an
innovative water and stain
repellent, breathable fabric
originally developed for
the military.
Initially applied to some of our
men’s jeans, we plan to introduce
more ‘Stormwear’ products for
both adults and children.
We also developed a new fleece
made from recycling plastic bottles
into polyester, instead of using
oil. We will be using 4.5 million
plastic bottles this year to make
fleeces for sale in-store and for
a store uniform trial.
During the year, we also extended
our use of innovative materials
that we introduced in 2005/06.
This included Insolia shoes, which
work by moving weight back
to your heel for better body
alignment and balance, keeping
legs comfortable.
We also used ‘Real Cool Cotton’,
a trademark fabric that was
initially introduced into men’s
undergarments and helps to
keep you cool, in new categories
including adult t-shirts and
baby sleepsuits.
In hosiery, we now sell ladder-
resistant tights and hold-ups
as fine as seven denier from
£3.50. The fabric is made from
revolutionary new yarns, which
join to form thousands of
invisible mini-joints. This means
that should a yarn break, rather
than creating an unsightly ladder,
the fabric forms a discreet hole.
This hosiery also has a reinforced
toe and added stretch.
In womenswear, we built on the
success of ‘Magicwear’, which
we had introduced in lingerie to
provide invisible shape and
support.
We applied this shaping
technology to the ‘Magic Dress’
– as worn by Shirley Bassey in
our Christmas TV adverts – and
are now offering ‘Magic Jeans’.