Marks and Spencer 2009 Annual Report Download - page 13

9
Chairman’s overview
continued
125 YEARS OF INNOVATION
1970s The fashion for micro mini-skirts
led to adults buying children’s skirts
to achieve the right length.
Within a week a number
of M&S stores sold out
of a season’s worth of a
children’s kitts – most of
which were purchased
by women.
1953 We launched the first
ever high street petite range –
‘For the Shorter Woman’ –
in 1953 following research
which showed that the
majority of women were
shorter than the accepted
average of 5'5''.
We launched Plan A in January 2007 because we believed that all
businesses have to take action to reduce their environmental and social
impact. Plan A was not a new idea but a continuation of the culture that
has existed in our business for 125 years.
Our customers have always trusted us to make the right decisions on
product sourcing and manufacturing, and to treat our 78,000 staff and over
2,000 suppliers fairly. It gives us a true point of difference in a crowded market
place, and now more than ever it is what our customers have come to expect.
We are not put off by the short-term impact of the recession. We set
ourselves 100 rigorous commitments as part of Plan A, and have achieved
39 with 24 of them now going even further. In addition to being the right
thing to do, these commitments are generating cost savings across the
business that we can invest back into our prices.
Planning beyond the recession
As I have already outlined, the recession has given us the opportunity to re-
examine our plan. We have therefore completed a review of where we are
and what we need to do to deliver a step-change in the way we service our
customers’ needs and in the way in which we operate our business. We are:
Increasing the pace of change and operational execution in the business;
Accelerating towards becoming a multi-channel retailer, focusing all
our actions on the customer, whichever channel they wish to use;
Driving our International business, particularly China, India and Southern
and Eastern Europe, balancing investment and returns; and
Reinvigorating our brand communication with our customers, highlighting
our ethical and sustainability objectives.
In order to drive this process, we have launched a change programme under
the banner ‘2020 – Doing the Right Thing’. Ian Dyson will be responsible for
the delivery of this programme across all areas of the business, supported
by Kate Bostock, John Dixon, Steve Rowe and Tanith Dodge.
We are bringing our GM businesses together, and as a result Home will
now report to Kate Bostock. M&S Direct will report to Steve Rowe, enabling
us to consolidate all customer channels under one person. The changes
mean we require someone to focus exclusively on growing our International
business moving forward. Regrettably Carl Leaver has decided he will
not continue in this role. We wish him the best in his future endeavours.
125 YEARS OF INNOVATION
Above: Manor Fresh Every fresh M&S spud –
whether a jacket, new, Jersey or organic potato
– is provided by Manor Fresh. With partners dotted
across the UK, Manor Fresh gets our new potatoes
into store faster than anyone else. They have
extended our UK growing seasons, introduced
new varieties, improved taste and reduced food
miles, all in line with our rigorous Field to Fork
farming standards.
Award-winning grower Steven Jack, supplies
all M&S Scottish stores with his new potatoes
in season. He says:
“M&S has inspired us to really push the
boundaries of traditional farming. It feels good
to get out of bed each day knowing that we
are doing the right thing by the land, and are
such a big part of bringing fresh veg to
millions of British households.”
Steven Jack, Award-winning potato grower