Marks & Spencer: A British Retail Icon Evolving with the Times
Marks & Spencer, or M&S, is a cornerstone of British retail, founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. From a single penny bazaar stall, it’s grown into a £11.9 billion business (2023/24 revenue), with over 900 stores across the UK – about 600 focused on food and 300 on clothing, homeware, and more – plus an international footprint in 62 countries. Based in London’s Waterside House, it employs around 72,000 people and serves 30 million customers yearly. I browsed marksandspencer.com once to see what’s up – slick site, tempting food pics.
It all kicked off with Marks, a Polish-Jewish immigrant, selling cheap goods in Kirkgate Market. Partnering with Spencer in 1894, they built a chain known for quality – by 1926, they capped prices at a shilling (hence “Marks and Sparks”). Today, M&S is split: Foodhalls offer posh ready meals (a £10 Dine In for Two deal) and Percy Pig sweets, while bigger stores stock £45 Autograph dresses or £20 cashmere jumpers. In 2025, they’re pushing hard online – £2.2 billion in digital sales last year – and their Sparks loyalty scheme, revamped in 2020, has 16 million users. On X, a March 15 post hyped a new Sparks perk: free coffee with a £20 spend.
Their system’s user-friendly. Walk into a store – like the one in Manchester’s Trafford Centre – and you’ll see neatly stacked £5 meal deals or £35 bedding sets. Online, marksandspencer.com lets you shop – I eyed a £6 chicken katsu curry – with delivery from £3.50 or free click-and-collect over £25. The app, with 4 million downloads, tracks Sparks points (1 per £1 spent, perks at milestones). In 2024, they opened 10 new Foodhalls, like one in Bristol, and plan 20 more by 2026, per Retail Week. I tried their site’s virtual try-on for a £39 jacket – cool tech.
M&S has its shine. In 2023/24, profits hit £716 million, up 58%, thanks to CEO Stuart Machin’s “reshape for growth” plan – fewer full-line stores, more food focus. Their Christmas 2024 campaign, with £700 million in sales, crushed it again. But it’s not perfect: X users grumble about pricey basics – “£4 for a loaf?” – and 3,000 job cuts since 2020 sting, even with a £500 million cost-saving push. A mate loves their Colin the Caterpillar cake (£8) – “a party must” – and I see why: my quick scroll showed quality you feel. If you’re in, hit the site, snag a Dine In deal, or check Sparks offers – it’s a classic with punch, even if it’s not my daily stop.
