Marks and Spencer 2009 Annual Report Download - page 34

A clear offer
Our menswear customer is predominately
female, accounting for more than 60% of
sales, and influencing a further 34% of
purchases. She buys on a ‘needs’ basis and
wants to quickly find what she is looking for.
In response we have provided a clear menu
of menswear brands and have a defined
strategy to take each of them forward over
the coming year.
‘Autograph’ which offers sharper styles
and contemporary designs, will grow to
include more casual separates. We will also
expand our Autograph Essentials offer of
footwear and underwear. ‘Blue Harbour’ will
go back to its roots and deliver the smarter,
sharper clothes that the brand was originally
famous for. ‘North Coast’ which sat under the
Blue Harbour umbrella, is now a standalone
brand. We will continue to develop its casual
look, with a very different signature style to
Blue Harbour. ‘Collezione’ offers classic
pieces in well-cut Italian fabrics. We have
identified a similar gap in our menswear offer
as the one we saw in womenswear, which
led to the launch of ‘Portfolio’. To meet this
need we will re-vamp ‘Collezione’ to make
it more appropriate for our 40+ customers
and include more core classic items
and coordinates.
Value
An expectation that M&S represents good value
is core to the shopping decisions of our male
customers, who account for the remaining
40% of menswear sales. Aside from a desire
to buy investment pieces, our male customer
is almost always drawn to the best deal,
which is why our recent deals and offers in
formalwear of a free shirt and tie with every
suit, were snapped up.
Innovation
Whether it is our water repellent ‘StormwearTM’
or our climate control underwear developed
in conjunction with NASA, innovative products
always sell well in menswear. We have kitted
out the British and Irish Lions in our new ‘Ultimate
Suit’ for their tour of South Africa over the
summer. The suits use revolutionary technology
to ensure the pure wool jacket and trousers
keep their shape, the lining remains cool, the
exterior is water repellent, and the ties are
stain resistant.
Additionally, the launch of our miracle
no-crease linen, produced by our oldest
textile supplier in Italy, proved the new and
old blend perfectly at M&S.
Looking ahead
We are confident of the adjustments we are
making to our brands in menswear, and the
first changes will be visible in stores by autumn
2009. Although the menswear market is
relatively small, with fewer players than the
womenswear market, we see an opportunity
to take a bigger share by growing our
casualwear, footwear and accessories offer.
30 Marks and Spencer Group plc Annual report and financial statements 2009 Directors’ report
Core UK business
continued
Menswear value market share
10.1%
-0.4% pts
Menswear volume market share
12.9%
-0.2% pts
125 YEARS OF VALUE
Above: Suitable style Style doesn’t always cost,
as the Scotland national football team proved. They
signed a two-year deal with M&S to kit them out off
the pitch – their navy three button ‘Ultimate Suit’ cost
just £149 each.
125 YEARS OF QUALITY
Right: High fashion, low price We continue to
collaborate with designers to bring high fashion
style to the High Street, including Jeffrey West
shoes, and Mark Powell’s ready-to-wear suit.
In autumn 2008, Take That signed on as the face
of our Autograph suit range, featuring designs by
Savile Row tailor – Timothy Everest.
Menswear: We have retained our number one position in menswear
in spite of challenging market conditions. Volume market share fell
0.2% to 12.9%, while value share was down 0.4% at 10.1%. As in
womenswear we have continued to simplify our brands, so each
is distinctive in its offer. We know we have work to do to strengthen
our menswear business, which is why we have gone back to the
things that make us a destination shop for our customers: value,
innovation and availability.
BRAND FOCUS: MENSWEAR
AUTOGRAPH SHARP AND CONTEMPORARY
BLUE HARBOUR SMART BRANDED STYLES
NORTH COAST CASUAL AND STYLISH
COLLEZIONE WELL-CUT ITALIAN TAILORING