The major British multinational retailer Marks & Spencer has used a number of brand names for its present and former products and services.
Product line history
St Michael The St Michael brand was introduced by Simon Marks in 1928, named after his father and co-founder of Marks & Spencer, Michael Marks. By 1950, virtually all goods were sold under the St Michael brand. M&S lingerie, women's clothing and girls' uniforms used the St Margaret brand, until the whole range of general merchandise became St Michael.
In 2000, the company shifted to the Marks & Spencer brand. The St Michael name was subsequently adopted as a 'quality guarantee' and appeared for a time as the St Michael Quality Promise on the back of food products, on the side of delivery vehicles and on in-store ordering receipts. St Michael returned to a limited extent as an emblem on clothing in 2021.
Major product lines The company put its main emphasis on quality, including a 1957 stocking size measuring system. For most of its history, it has also had a reputation for offering fair value for money.
The synthetic fibre Tricell was first used in 1957 and lasted until the 1970s and another synthetic fibre called Courtelle was first launched nationally by Marks & Spencer during 1960 and also lasted well into the 1970s. Machine washable wool first appeared in 1972 and Lycra hosiery first came in during 1986.
M&S launched their own brands of domestic products, such as washing powder and aluminium foil in 1972, under the brand name of 'House-care'.
M&S has sold Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings since 1958. In an effort to improve the quality of their Swiss rolls, they hired the food expert Nat Goldberg, who made a major improvement across their entire cake range, which had lost the public's favour a few years earlier. As a later measure to improve food quality food labelling was improved and "sell by dates" were phased in between 1970 and 1972.
Boil-in-the-bag and sachet meals were first pioneered by M&S in 1972 and the award-winning Gastropub food range was launched in 2004. The 'Melting middle chocolate pudding' campaign of 2005 led to a remarkable 3,000% rise in chocolate pudding sales, something that has not reoccurred since.
The successful Autograph brand was launched in 2000 and was originally meant to be for men, but had now moved on to cover children and women by 2005. The 1996–1997 'Orient Express Tagged' brand was the first of numerous new brands, most of which were in feminine and children's clothes. The 'Orient Express Tagged' brand was part of the inspiration behind the 'Portfolio' brand. The men's Autograph brand was then launched in 2000 and continues to this day.Chislett, Helen (3 September 2009). Marks in Time: 125 Years of Marks & Spencer. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. .
The Percy Pigs sweets were first created in 1992 and the billionth Percy Pig sweet was sold by October 2007.
M&S's relatively successful interior design 'Homeware' brand was launched in 2005 and renamed 'Home' in 2006. It features products like vases, furniture, beds etc.
Plus range maternity – larger sizes of maternity clothes – were absorbed into the already existing 'Limited Collection Maternity', under the name of 'M&S Maternity' in 2008 to simplify administration.
The women's 'Perfect' and 'Essential' sub-brands were largely relaunched in 2009 as the 'Portfolio' range, but without the high end designer blouses. Perfect still operates in men's rain coats and cookware. Perfect was relaunced in January 2010 as a seasonal sub-brand of Portfolio.
The firm's major clothing lines M&S markets its major adult clothes ranges under the following brand names:
Limited collection Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Limited Collection Limited collection Junior Unisex Kids' Partywear, posh clothes, smart shoes, designer clothes and party wear Limited Collection (larger stores only) - Women Smart-casual clothing, lingerie and hosiery Limited Collection (limited stores only and online) - Men Smart-casual clothing, aimed at a young 'edgy' style
Per Una Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Per Una – Female Designer fashion garments, belts, tunics, hats, shoes, bags, scarfs, night clothes, bags, umbrellas, belts, lingerie and hosiery. Per Una Buy me now or lose me for ever- limited stock. Female Per Una's discounted and one-off special edition designer clothes – Per Una Per Una Petite (only available online) Female Per Una's small clothes -
Per Una is a range of younger female's clothing sold at M&S stores, launched on 28 September 2001 as a joint venture between M&S and Next founder George Davies. The brand name means for one (woman) in Italian. All Per Una items include the three hearts logo, inspired by a postcard seen by Davies while on holiday in Italy.
The Per Una brand has been a major success for the company, and in October 2004, M&S bought the brand in a £125 million, two-year service contract with George Davies. Davies was to stay on for at least two years to run the company, with 12 months notice required if he wished to leave.
The teenagers' line called Per Una Due was launched in early 2004,-://www.affiliates4u.com/forums/buy/20035-m-s-per-una-due.html but sales were poor and it was discontinued in May 2004, while the adult lines flourished by 2010.
The Designer Discount brand was relaunched in the festive season 2008–2009 as Buy me now or lose me forever – limited stock.
Planned new Per Una sub-brands M&S also announced it was planning to take over Twiggy's Twiggy international label during the winter of 2010 and merge it into Per Una.
North Coast Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) North Coast – Men Cool, easy and relaxed casuals, scarfs and hats –
Portfolio Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Portfolio Perfect Unisex Coats, posh skirts, tunics, scarfs, belts, lingerie and hosiery
Portfolio This is aimed at the core 40–55 businesswoman. It is meant to offer all that is close to her feminine side. The shoes, trouser suits, blouses and frocks will be UK sourced and the T-shirts will involve fair trade cotton from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It has incorporated some products from the former Perfect and Essential sub-brands. Portfolio Cashmere had absorbed the other male and female M&S cashmere jumper lines. Portfolio (headed by Marie Helvin since 2008) recently began to issue Speziale fashion trousers and Jeggings in a final bid for customers in late 2010 The Portfolio brand is currently being phased out.
Indigo collection Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Indigo Collection (headed by Myleene Klass) – Female Casual women's clothes, scarfs, gloves, hand bags and belts Indigo collection Denim Female Women's jeans – Indigo collection Casual Female Women's casual tops – The Indigo collection junior Indigo Company Boys Casual shirts, casual jeans and play wear – The Indigo collection junior – Unisex Posh clothes for kids - Indigo baby – Unisex Hats, baby clothes, blanket sleepers, Romper suits, cot blankets, babies' and bibs by the Indigo line- The Indigo collection junior Denim junior Unisex Children's high-end/upmarket jeans
The Indigo collection This is a new range, aimed at the core, 18–25, feminine casual-comfortable type. It is meant to offer all that is close to her feminine side. The shoes, trousers and jeans will be UK and Bangladeshi-sourced and the T-shirts will involve fair trade cotton from Senegal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Beachwear may be added to the list if the success continues.
It has a sub-brand product range called Denim which deals with women's jeans.
Babywear was reduced to woolly hats, gloves, socks and bed linen after its baby clothes, blanket sleepers, Romper suits, cot blankets, babies' bibs, non-woolly hats, socks and cot linen were turned into the Indigo Baby line in January 2011.
Autograph Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Autograph (headed by John Powell) – Unisex Unisex and/or mixed ranges of hats, belts, scarves, gloves, bags, plus women's lingerie, tunics and hosiery. Smart-casual clothing exclusively designed for M&S by designers such as Nigel Hall, Jeffery West and Timothy Everest. Autograph Casual Male Smart-casual clothing Autograph Autograph weekend Unisex Smart and casual clothes Autograph Formal Male Formal shirts, ties, and suits – Autograph Fair trade Unisex As the name suggests, it is for fair trade cotton T-shirts from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bulgaria and Senegal. – Autograph junior – Male Boys' smart clothes, bags, belts, shoes, coats and partyware Autograph Luxury Male Upmarket knitwear for men –
Autograph celebrated its tenth birthday in January 2010.
Marks and Spencer Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Marks and Spencer Linen with love Female Linen clothes – Marks and Spencer Skirts (major stores only) Female Cheap, utilitarian 'good value' skirts – Marks and Spencer Original and authentic laundry, soft linen cloths Female Linen casual tops – Marks and Spencer Original and authentic linen issue Female Linen clothes Marks and Spencer Original and authentic laundry, lovingly laundered Female Linen tops – Marks and Spencer Original and authentically crumpled Female Linen shirts and blouses – Marks and Spencer Basic Jeans Female Cheap, good value, utilitarian jeans – Marks and Spencer Fair trade Female As the name suggests, it is for fair trade cotton T-shirts and jeans from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Senegal. – Marks and Spencer Performance sportswear Female A line of serious sportswear for dedicated female athletes – Marks and Spencer Perfect-tee Female Upmarket T-shirts. – Marks and SpencerUmbrellas Female Cheap, good value, utilitarian umbrellas – Marks and Spencer Basic Jeans junior Female Girls' cheap, good value, utilitarian jeans – Marks and Spencer – Female Girls' shoes –
Linen shop is the department in larger stores which sells the various linen articles listed above along with some linen items from other lines and brands.
Classic collection Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Classic Collection Seasonal Classics FemaleSmart and smart casual seasonal clothes, scarves and hats Classic Collection Summer Classics FemaleSmart and smart casual seasonal clothes, scarves and hats Classic – Men Underwear, scarves, socks and pyjamas –
Classic Collection is a new seasonal range, aimed at the core 55+ retired woman. It is meant to offer all that is close to her feminine side. The shoes, skirts, blouses and frocks will be UK sourced and the T-shirts will involve fair trade cotton from India and Pakistan. It has 'Seasonal Classics' and 'Summer Classics' lines.
Blue Harbour Brand LineCustomer gender ProductsSource(s) Blue Harbour – Men Men's casual brand Blue Harbour Heritage Men Men's casual brand – Blue Harbour Luxury Men Higher-end casual clothing – Blue Harbour Golf Men Golf clothing –
Blue Harbour is a men's casuals brand, and includes the sub-brands Heritage, Luxury and Golf.
Other clothing lines Other adult only clothes lines M&S markets its miscellaneous and specialist adult clothes ranges under the following product ranges: