Marks & Spencer is opening stores dedicated to a full food range ahead of an online delivery launch with Ocado next year. Only 12 of its stores currently offer all 6,500 of its food products. However, in a further major shift away from clothing, it said it would target the weekly family grocery shop and introduce more locations offering its full food selection.
In a letter to suppliers, M&S food Manging Director Stuart Machin said the company would convert more space in existing stores to food, while designing new ones that paved the way for a better food shop experience. In doing so, it would “bust” the “misunderstanding” that its food range is only geared towards “singles and couples”.
“It is assumed that M&S Food isn’t a full-range business,” he said, adding: “That is not true. Our full range is unrivalled in taste and quality. We have over 6,500 lines…we just don’t get them in front
of customers.
Last May, M&S announced it would close 100 stores by 2022 as part of a plan to have fewer, larger clothing and homeware stores. The newly created food stores will have footprints of between 12,000ft and 15,000ft.
