M&S makes London Fashion Week debut to boost style ambitions

M&S celebrating 100 years in fashion Retailer has boosted appeal to younger shoppers Collection can be purchased after show Half of collection priced under £50 By James Davey LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) — Marks & Spencer will make its London Fashion Week debut on Friday, using the high-profile event to showcase its growing fashion credentials and broaden its appeal to shoppers at home and abroad, both in-store and online. The retailer, one of the biggest names on the UK high street, will celebrate 100 years in fashion with womenswear and menswear collections inspired by the M&S archive. Under Stuart Machin, CEO since 2022, M&S has focused on re-establishing its value, quality and style credentials to boost its appeal to a younger fashion-focused shopper. It is also revamping its supply chain, while investing in stores and strengthening its data and digital capability. With an aim to make M&S a truly omnichannel retailer, Machin is targeting a doubling in the fashion, home and beauty (FH&B) division's online sales over the long term from about £1.4 billion ($1.9 billion) in 2024/25. He also wants to increase online's share of total FH&B sales from about 34% to 50% in the medium term.