Marks and Spencer 2010 Annual Report Download - page 8

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Marks and Spencer Group plc Annual report and financial statements 2010 Directors’ report 04
Overview
Chairman’s overview continued
We remain focused on helping our customers
shop with us whichever way they want,
bringing together our various shopping
channels to provide greater convenience
and flexibility. As explained on page 28 of
the report, this year we launched ‘Shop Your
Way’, a new ordering service that has been
rolled-out to over 300 stores, allowing
customers to place orders either in stores,
online or over the phone, for delivery to
either a nominated address or free of charge
to their nearest store.
Our International sales were up 5.7%,
despite difficult trading conditions in the
Republic of Ireland and Greece. We remain
confident in our International growth plans
and this year we have focused on building
sustainable businesses in emerging
economies such as India and China.
Improvements across M&S are a result
of our consistent delivery of quality and value
to our customers. Through good times and
through adversity we have remained true
to our core values. It is these values that
continue to set M&S apart from the
competition and I believe they are more
relevant than ever before in our 125
year history.
Trust
Our customers know they can trust us to
do the right thing and nowhere is this
better demonstrated than through Plan A.
This year we raised the bar – setting
ourselves the ambitious goal of
becoming the world’s most
sustainable major retailer by 2015.
Our extended Plan A will reach further and
move us faster – covering every part of our
business and reaching out to our 2,000
suppliers in the UK and overseas and into
the homes of our 21 million customers.
We are also encouraging our 76,000
employees to live ‘greener lifestyles’ and
this is explained in more detail in our people
section on page 40. As part of this all
M&S employees are now entitled to a
paid volunteer day – so that we can give
something back to the communities
we serve.
By 2020 we aim to convert the 2.7 billion
individual M&S food, clothing and home
products sold each year, to ‘Plan A
products’, so that each carries at least
one sustainable or ethical quality. In doing
so, we will make a positive contribution
to the environment and society across
everything we do and everything we sell.
Plan A is not just the right thing to
do ethically, it also makes commercial
sense. By further embedding sustainability
into the way we do business we will
continue to become more efficient, develop
new markets and build customer loyalty.
125th anniversary
Against the backdrop of recession, our
125th anniversary celebrations served as a
rallying call to remind both customers and
employees of the values M&S has stood
for throughout its 125 year history. To this
effect, we brought back the Penny Bazaar
under the original slogan – ‘Don’t ask the
price it’s a penny’ – attracting over three
million customers in just three days.
As part of the celebrations we also set our
employees a target of raising £1.25m in just
TRUST
Above: The Marks in Time exhibition was
launched as part of our 125 celebrations.
It showcased the M&S journey from market stall to
international retailer, highlighting its role in British
cultural history since Michael Marks opened his
first stall in 1884. Held at the University of Leeds,
it features nearly 200 items from the M&S Company
Archive and marks the beginning of a unique
partnership which will see the entire archive relocate
to the University in 2011. Sir Stuart Rose and
Twiggy opened the exhibition alongside University
Vice-Chancellor, Michael Arthur.
See more at marksintime.marksandspencer.com
INNOVATION
Left: Reversy Percy Customers told
us they like to eat Percy Pigs jelly ears first so
in March 2010 we reversed him to give fans more
of their favourite bits. Percy Pig is exclusive to
M&S and has his own Facebook Appreciation
Society, with over 200,000 members and over
1.5 million Percy Pigs are eaten a week!
SERVICE & TRUST
Below: Three Lions One Tailor
As World Cup fever hits the
country this summer we’ll be
kitting out the England squad for
their trip to South Africa. Fans
won’t be left out and they can get
their hands on the same suits for
£199 and waistcoat for £35.