“an Analysis of Marks and Spencer’s Current Strategic Position, and How Marks and Spencer’s Will Develop These Strategies in the Future.”
| “An analysis of Marks and Spencer’s current strategic position, and how Marks and Spencer’s will develop these strategies in the future.” | | |
Assessment 2
“An analysis of Marks and Spencer’s current strategic position, and how Marks and Spencer’s will develop these strategies in the future.”
Company Background
Marks and Spencer (M&S) is one of the UK’s leading retailers, with over 21 million people visiting its stores each week. M&S offers stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality foods, responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally. M&S employs over 75,000 people in the UK and abroad having 600 UK stores, plus an expanding international business.
Overall Marks and Spencer’s clothing range and home ware sales account for 49% of the business, the other 51% of the sales coming from sales of food.
M&S has a record of success and profitability since its establishment with well known reputation for its innovative, quality products and reasonable price which offers customers value for their money. (Your M&S, 2010)
Although M&S can now be seen as one of the leading UK retailers it has come through somewhat a number of difficulties to reach the position at where it stands at present. During the mid to late 1990’s M&S sales and services declined partly due to the recession and an increase in market penetration producing a much tougher trading environment for M&S. M&S fought back through compliance with strategies put in place by management and to this day M&S are constantly building and renewing its strategic foundations in order to compete within and increase its share of what is a very competitive market.
Unique selling point
When looking at competitive advantage of Marks and Spencer’s we can look at the ‘positioning’ and ‘brand’ that M&S have created in the eyes of the consumer. In Marks and Spencer’s case, a retailer that not only delivers
Assessment 2
“An analysis of Marks and Spencer’s current strategic position, and how Marks and Spencer’s will develop these strategies in the future.”
Company Background
Marks and Spencer (M&S) is one of the UK’s leading retailers, with over 21 million people visiting its stores each week. M&S offers stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality foods, responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally. M&S employs over 75,000 people in the UK and abroad having 600 UK stores, plus an expanding international business.
Overall Marks and Spencer’s clothing range and home ware sales account for 49% of the business, the other 51% of the sales coming from sales of food.
M&S has a record of success and profitability since its establishment with well known reputation for its innovative, quality products and reasonable price which offers customers value for their money. (Your M&S, 2010)
Although M&S can now be seen as one of the leading UK retailers it has come through somewhat a number of difficulties to reach the position at where it stands at present. During the mid to late 1990’s M&S sales and services declined partly due to the recession and an increase in market penetration producing a much tougher trading environment for M&S. M&S fought back through compliance with strategies put in place by management and to this day M&S are constantly building and renewing its strategic foundations in order to compete within and increase its share of what is a very competitive market.
Unique selling point
When looking at competitive advantage of Marks and Spencer’s we can look at the ‘positioning’ and ‘brand’ that M&S have created in the eyes of the consumer. In Marks and Spencer’s case, a retailer that not only delivers
References: Bibliography * Lynch, R (2009) Strategic Management, FT, Prentice Hall, 5th Edition * Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy, 6th Edition, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited * Ralph, D