Marks & Spencer news and analysis
M&S Food is the grocery division of Marks & Spencer, which operates through standalone Simply Food stores and food halls within larger M&S locations. M&S Food has partnered with Ocado for online grocery delivery. The Grocer covers M&S Food with news, analysis, insight and opinion, including product innovation, strategic partnerships, and market performance.
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NewsMajor retailers commit to review mackerel sourcing policies
Last week, Waitrose announced it would stop its sourcing of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel by 29 April, with tinned lines to follow
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NewsShoppers switch to own label and buy less to save money: NIQ
Total till sales at UK supermarkets increased 3.3% in the four weeks to 21 February, but volumes declined by 0.8% – a bigger fall than January’s 0.6%
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NewsEPR: retailers and Wrap back call for funding rethink
A new white paper calls on Defra and PackUK to revamp the system so companies that are shown to be investing in genuine recycling initiatives are rewarded with lower fees
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Comment & OpinionAsda’s leadership lessons (and other takeaways from Retail Week x The Grocer LIVE 2026)
Discussions at Retail Week x The Grocer LIVE 2026 have included Asda’s turnaround, the role of AI, retail media and the business of building hype
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NewsM&S raising store worker pay by 6.4%
The rise, which will benefit 55,000 workers, is an increase of 6.4% from current M&S rates
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NewsArgos trumps Tesco to top new index of retailer digital capability
The Sainsbury’s-owned everything retailer offers shopping features most closely matched to consumer demands
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NewsM&S investing in fairer incomes for Ivory Coast cocoa farmers
M&S has also committed to paying an additional investment over two years on top of the Fairtrade Premium
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NewsSupermarkets in Gibraltar, including Morrisons, in race to meet new EU rules
Businesses supplying retailers in Gibraltar have less than two months to prove their products meet EU regulations
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Analysis & FeaturesHow can the food & drink industry tackle youth unemployment?
Young people today face a challenging jobs market. But many food and drink companies are helping them get their foot in the door with apprenticeships, graduate schemes and qualifications
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NewsM&S has biggest-ever Valentine’s for flower sales
M&S’s share of flowers and plants reached 17.1% in the eight weeks to 14 February, up from 16.3% a year earlier [Circana], as it sold over a million Valentine’s bouquets
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NewsOver 80% of M&S shoppers planning to dine in on Valentine’s Day
In a continuation of a well-established trend of dining in to save on restaurant bills, 82% of M&S shoppers said they would not be going out on 14 February
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Grocer 33M&S score impresses in Newcastle supermarket mystery shop victory
That 25,000 sq ft M&S racked up near-perfect scores in almost every category
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Grocer 33Rob Slone on leading one of M&S’s oldest, busiest, most iconic stores
Rob Slone reflects on TV stardom, congregating kids and Only (and Nutrient Dense) fans
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NewsM&S hires Ovo’s Alex Doorey as corporate affairs director
Doorey was energy supplier Ovo’s VP of corporate affairs, brand and marketing, and before that held senior roles in communications at Virgin Media O2, eBay and Sainsbury’s
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Analysis & FeaturesHow co-branding became grocery’s ultimate marketing strategy
Once reserved for occasional promotions, co-branding has become a core strategy for grocery brands seeking to refresh mature categories
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NewsM&S issues update to all stores on food waste after exposé
The retailer is among a number of major grocers whose store bins have been filmed in recent weeks by the Instagram and TikTok account Food_waste_inspector_
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NewsM&S’s ‘Only 4 Ingredients’ loaf becomes ‘Only 6 Ingredients’
The Real Bread Campaign complained to Trading Standards last year about a “numerical mismatch” in labelling claims on bread products in M&S’s Only… Ingredients range
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NewsNo 10 stages talks on ‘ambitious’ new food waste strategy
Wrap gave prime minister Keir Starmer a physical representation of the problem in the form of a pack of potatoes left in the Downing Street fridge
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NewsM&S claims first by including alcohol in food sales reporting
Like other major grocers, M&S voluntarily reports on its food sales including the proportion comprised of healthier options
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NewsM&S to raise another £1.5m for charity YoungMinds
M&S has already raised £5.5m since partnering with the charity in 2023