Marks & Spencer is increasing its stock of womenswear in smaller sizes after increased demand left gaps on shelves.
Stuart Machin, the chain’s CEO, said that three years ago around a fifth (21%) of items sold from its main seasonal collection were sizes 6 to 10 and that this had now risen to 35% as it expanded its “fashion and style ranges”. [were] that resonates with a different customer group”.
Even outside of the more fashionable categories, sales of smaller sizes now represent about 23% of the mix, up from about 20% three years ago.
Machin responded to a customer complaint at the retailer’s annual general meeting on Tuesday that there were not enough smaller sizes in stock. He said he had personally looked at orders for smaller sizes to make sure there were more and that “if we sell out in the fall/winter we will do very well.”
The demand for smaller sizes reflects the growing popularity of M&S, which has traditionally been worn by those over 50, while consumers in their 20s, 30s and 40s tend to be slimmer.
A spokesman for M&S, which sells womenswear in sizes 36 to 54, said: “We’re not moving away from larger sizes, it’s more about being more responsive to demand and making sure we have the right size mix and availability for all our customers – something we don’t always get right.”
Machin said in May that more under-30s were buying M&S lingerie than ever before, taking its market share in that product category to a new record of 38%.
That broader appeal has helped the revived retailer to attract more than 1 million extra customers and boost profits by 41% in the year to March 30.
The retailer has sought to improve its fashion credentials and reach a new generation of shoppers by using social media, including training its own staff as influencers. It has also attracted younger names than it has traditionally used in advertising campaigns, such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Zawe Ashton.
Collaborations with celebrities such as Sienna Miller, the 42-year-old actress known for her style, have also been key. M&S said size 10 was the most popular size in Miller’s range, and 32% of items in the spring/summer campaign were in sizes 6 to 10.
Six of the 19 items from Miller’s collection are sold out on the M&S website in sizes 6 to 10
Pippa Stephens, senior apparel analyst at GlobalData, said M&S’s decision to stock third-party brands such as Nobody’s Child and Sweaty Betty on its site had broadened its appeal to younger shoppers, while its own-brand clothing designs now feature “more fashionable shapes and prints”.
But she said it could also be that a greater number of older shoppers are now slimmer and “more aware of exercise and healthy eating”.
Machin has also redesigned M&S supermarkets to appeal to young families. The Essential line consists of cheaper basic products, larger pack sizes and enough products to do a full weekly shop.
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Dozens of investors attended M&S’ annual meeting at its Paddington headquarters, but it was far fewer than the large gatherings the FTSE-listed company was once known for, when consumers often criticised the company for the length of sleeves, elastication in knickers and other issues.
During the pandemic, M&S moved to online meetings, but the company says it is now sticking to a hybrid format.
During the meeting, the retailer had to defend its use of temporary workers, such as cleaners, who are not guaranteed at least the living wage, unlike permanent store staff who are employed directly by M&S.
Machin and M&S chairman Archie Norman also defended a decision to scale back the lifetime staff discount. Employees who had worked for the retailer for at least 10 years previously received the 20% discount, but on July 1 M&S extended the service period to 25 years.
Machin said he decided to make the change after discovering that 50,000 people who had left M&S were taking advantage of the discount, which he said was eating into profits.