All eyes on us
An insight into the outstanding work that we are doing to improve our visual merchandising
Our journey
We look at how M&S is transforming and what is still to be done
Meet the Experts
An in-store Beauty Adviser chats to one of our Beauty Buyers
The future’s Rosie
Everything you need to know about our new smoothing lingerie collection
Keeping you in touch July / August 2014
Inside CLEAN-UP MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
6
Our Big Beach and Waterway Clean-up took place over six days this April.
7,776
5 Close-up 4 Our 2020 vision
We tell you what the future holds for Plan A
5 In Touch
Customers say thank you
6 L ights out
How we are supporting the Royal British Legion this August
7 Three cheers
Employees thank each other
Magazine heroes
We couldn’t have created this issue of YOUR M&S without these colleagues
A grand total of 7,776 volunteers took part
3,969
200,000 items were picked up, filling 3,969 black bags
25
This equalled a whopping 25 tonnes of rubbish
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24
145
Helping to clean 145 beaches and canals
Features 10 Smooth talking
Soozie Jenkinson, Head of Lingerie Design, chats with Customer Assistant Sarah Smith about our new Rosie for Autograph products
14 Our journey
We look at how M&S is transforming, and hear about what is still to be done
22 Hot off the press
Employees from Culverhouse Cross visit our A/W14 press show
24 Meet the Experts
A Beauty Buyer meets an in-store Beauty Adviser
26 Your letters Spotlighting your ideas,
18 All eyes on us
plus puzzles and prizes
How visual merchandising is changing in stores
‘It was a real honour to have the magazine team in our store to shoot the visual merchandising feature. We’re all very proud of how the store looks and love to show it off!’ NAOMI ROBERTS, STORE MANAGER, DERBY
‘My team trained hard for their charity bike ride, so it’s great to see their success featured in the magazine. I hope it inspires more stores to do something similar.’ SEAN PHILIPS, STORE MANAGER EVESHAM STORE
‘We’re all really proud of the new smoothing lingerie in our Rosie for Autograph range, and Customer Assistant Sarah’s feedback on it was invaluable.’ VICTORIA FARROW, SENIOR LINGERIE BUYER
‘At Derby store, we work as a team to ensure that the shop floor looks its best. After all, visual merchandising is the most powerful crossselling tool that we have.’
Hello!
CAROLINE WRIGHT, STYLIST, DERBY STORE
Welcome…
STRIKE A POSE Employees from Derby store show us what good visual merchandising looks like
14 Go online now! Look out for the digital version of YOUR M&S. It has all of the fantastic stories from your regular magazine, plus some extra articles for you to read, enjoy and share with your colleagues. See Today@M&S or My Store Workspace for details
Contact
If you have an idea for a great news story, please ask your BIG rep to send it to us. Clare Goulty, Editor – extn 183283 Email: Employee.comms@marks-andspencer.com Post: Employee Communications, Marks & Spencer, Waterside House, UG East, 35 North Wharf Road, London W2 1NW
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Welcome to the July/ August issue of YOUR M&S. In this issue, we take a look at the hard work that has gone into transforming M&S from a British high-street retailer to a multichannel, international one and chat to employees around the business about what we are all doing to continue this journey. We also turn our attention to the improvements that are being made to our visual merchandising in stores, while our Meet the Experts focuses on our beauty offering. Enjoy the issue and here’s to a lovely summer!
CLARE GOULTY EDITOR, YOUR M&S
Picture credits
Cover photography: Matt Thomas. Other images: Alun Callender, Hannah Edwards, Ben Gold, Greg Funnell, Jo Hanley, Jamie Lau, Shutterstock, Tom Flathers/ South West News This magazine is printed on 50% recycled paper. Please do the right thing by passing it on to someone else or recycling it after you have read it.
Story to tell? Email Employee.Comms@marks-and-spencer.com
Close-up PL AN A
BU S I N E S S
Dear colleagues…
In this issue you will see how colleagues across M&S are playing important roles to transform our business and set us up for the future. They, like you, are making a difference every day. Another example of the inspiration our people bring has been the Power of 92 events where our 3,500 Section Managers came together to take part in engagement sessions during the summer. They are called Power of 92, because 92% of our colleagues are managed by Section Managers. That is an astounding figure. It reinforces the crucial role that they play in ensuring our customers receive great service. Our people make the M&S difference. That is why we are now introducing new values to sharpen the way we operate so we can be even more effective. The new values are: Inspiration; Innovation; Integrity and In-Touch. They build on the strong core values that have characterised M&S since its founding 130 years ago and have been shaped by feedback from our people and customers. You’ll be hearing more in the coming months about what this will mean for you and your teams, and how it will help us to better understand our customers and meet their wishes and desires. You should be proud of the work you do, the colleagues you work with, and be confident that we can achieve great things together. Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Marc Bolland, CEO
Our 20:20 vision
Thanks to your hard work and support, Plan A is now firmly established as the way we do business. In its first seven years, Plan A has helped to set us apart from our competitors, reinforcing why we’re a brand that our customers can trust. We now need to involve and inspire our customers and show them that together with M&S we can make a difference. This is the vision for Plan A 2020. Let’s remind ourselves of the amazing work we have done in the past 12 months… People l More than 1,450 young unemployed people have been offered work experience and training through Make Your Mark l Four million garments were donated by customers and employees to Oxfam through Shwopping – our best year yet! l Our colleagues and customers raised £8.8m for our communities in 2013/14 Environment l More than half of M&S products now have a Plan A quality (for example Fairtrade, organic, cruelty-free, sustainably sourced or recycled content) l UK and ROI energy usage in stores, offices and warehouses is now 34% more efficient l Since 2010, more than 500,000 people who work in GM supply chains have received training in helping improve quality and productivity
What’s next In order to take Plan A to the end of the decade, we need to lead the way with initiatives that help people and the environment. We’ll build on our work to help young unemployed people overcome barriers to work; ensure M&S is at the heart of our local communities and continue to improve our employees’ wellbeing. We are also aiming to use the most sustainable raw materials available in our products and to work with factories operating to the highest environmental and Hamoy Thompson social standards. from Brixton store
FOOD
On our menu
Our Summer of Flavour is set to continue with more tasty and innovative products. These are just a few of our favourites…
Southwold Hibiscus Wheat Beer
Cream Cheese with Wasabi
July / August 2014
05 YOUR M&S
News
SERV ICE
PEOPLE
A golden celebration
Handled with care
Wendy Martin (pictured above right with Tanith Dodge, Director of HR), a Customer Assistant from Hackney store, recently celebrated 50 years of working at M&S. Having started working for us at the age of 15 at the old Stratford store, where she spent 25 years, Wendy went on to work at East Ham store. When that store closed she transferred to Hackney store, where she continues to work. Wendy told us: ‘I love working for M&S, but it’s the employees that make it so special. All of the teams that I have worked with have been very friendly and always provide colleagues with help and support when they need it.’
Every day we receive emails and letters that demonstrate how M&S employees are In Touch with our customers. Here’s a selection of the stories we loved…
Wrexham Store received a lovely letter regarding Customer Assistant Lynn Crawford-Morris: ‘I can’t praise Lynn enough! I took my 94-year-old grandmother to buy new underwear because she has lost so much weight and Lynn was very helpful and made both myself and my gran feel very much at ease.’ What a star Fred Yelverton (pictured, left) works in Colchester store’s Menswear section, where he has been an employee for almost 17 years. He receives many letters from
customers, praising his knowledge and wonderful service. One customer wrote: ‘Fred could not have done more for me if I had been buying half a dozen suits.’ A helping hand Bournemouth store received glowing customer feedback about Lisa Rigler, a Customer Assistant in the Lingerie Department. After receiving wonderful help from Lisa to find the correct size, she was very satisfied with her purchase: ‘Lisa was very friendly, efficient and happy in her work,’ she wrote, saying that she ‘felt good’ on leaving the store after chatting with her.
PEOPLE
The Power of 92 Throughout June we hosted a series of events across the UK dedicated to our 3,500 section managers – recognising how important their contribution is to their stores and the business. The purpose of the day-long
Posh Dog Pickle Relish July / August 2014
Lamb & Pomegranate Firebread
sessions, called The Power of 92, was to create a community of section managers across the business who are confident in leading their teams of customer assistants. Megan Kay from Derby store (pictured right), who
Passionfruit & Lime and Sour Cherry & Pistachio Mini Cakes
attended the event in Birmingham, told us: ‘The day was incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking. The atmosphere was fantastic and we all left feeling passionate and engaged. It also taught me the value of communication between stores. As section managers, we all have challenging roles but we aren’t alone when it comes to these difficulties. In the future, I’ll be sure to pick up the phone and ask colleagues for advice.’
Did you know?
Our Section Managers are responsible for leading 92% of our employees with more than 77,000 direct reports between them.
Close-up F L OW E R S
Bloomin’ marvellous
Pictured above: Twiggy, who opened the garden, with Product Developer of Flowers, Simon Richards
We are very proud to have won a Silver Gilt medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year for our Nature’s Hidden Heroes exhibit, which explored the important relationship between our cut flower production and bees, butterflies and bugs. The garden was praised for its quality, visitor information and design. Well done to everyone who made this achievement possible. CHARITY
PL AN A
Lights out
Don’t forget! For every one of our Chelsea Flower Show bouquets sold between 19 July and 2 August we will make a donation to Butterfly Conservation.
Remember to tell customers about our limited edition Centenary candle for £4, with all of the profits (£1.33) going to The Royal British Legion. On 4 August, between 10pm and 11pm, The British Legion is The limited encouraging everyone in the edition Cente candle will be nary UK to turn off their lights – av online and in ailable leaving only a single light stores. Fo r more inform or candle – to remember ation, visit ww more than a million britishlegio w. n.org.uk/ Commonwealth Service lightsout personnel who lost their lives in the First World War.
! d n fi a t a Wh VO LU N T E E R I N G
Here are some of the unusual discoveries at the 2014 Big Beach and Waterway Clean-up, which took place 24 to 30 April: half a boat, a Smurf, a plastic leg, an Action Man, two motorbikes and a set of false teeth.
The butterfly effect Help protect UK butterflies and moths by joining in the Big Butterfly Count, a nationwide survey taking place from 19 July to 10 August. By working with the Butterfly Conservation we aim to raise awareness of the importance of butterflies and moths, which goes hand in hand with our goal to help to protect the environment. Last year was the Butterfly Count’s most successful year with an incredible 46,413 people joining in. For more information on how to take part, visit www.bigbutterflycount.com. July / August 2014
07
YOUR M&S
News
E M P L OY E E S
Get connected Keeping in touch is important, which is why My Store Workspace has undergone a radical rebuild – making it more effective, interactive, and accessible. It has been designed by store colleagues, making it more user friendly and with a powerful search engine to get the information you need fast. This is the first step in giving employees better access to information online. We will be joining up all our digital touchpoints to create a single hub for everything to do with M&S – helping you find out what’s happening, access your admin, and get great offers. It will be for all employees, on all devices, any time. Look out for more information over the coming months. To access My Store Workspace via a mobile device, type msw.mnscorp.net into your URL bar and log in with your M&S corporate ID.
We want your feedback! To tell us what you think of the new My Store Workspace, click on the Feedback button on the homepage, or use the new My Store Workspace Yammer group.
S E RV IC E
Your opportunity to thank your colleagues for their support, dedication, efficiency and humour – or simply for being themselves Wine Hero Nikki Jarrat’s (pictured right) knowledge of the selection of wines at M&S is second to none. Her advice to customers and colleagues has been invaluable, and has undoubtedly increased both sales and customer satisfaction. She is a highly valued member of the team at Cirencester Simply Food and customers always come back again and again to seek out her recommendations. Nominated by CIRENCESTER SIMPLY FOOD BIG Chris Faulks – a Customer Assistant in the café at Truro store – came to the rescue when a customer’s nine-
month-old son suffered burns from a cup of tea. Chris responded quickly but remained incredibly calm throughout the situation. The customer was truly grateful for her professional, caring and efficient attitude. Nominated by TRURO BIG Maria Dotollo (pictured left), a Customer Assistant from Wrexham store, helped a customer who could not remember all the ingredients for a recipe. Maria looked up the recipe online and helped the customer find all the ingredients she needed, including additional lines to complement the dish. Nominated by IAN LEIGHTON, WREXHAM STORE
Up for the challenge TEAM EFFORT Exeter store raised an amazing £7,450 for its charity, Hospice Care, by hosting a football match, quizzes and raffles, as well as the sale of waste flowers. One employee, Leon Bolt, also completed a 10k walk to raise vital funds for the cause.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME An action-packed charity football match between Hastings (below) and Bexhill stores (left) recently raised more than £200 in sponsorship, all of which was donated to a charity called Changing Faces.
CHEQUE MATES Ashgate Hospice recently received a cheque for £3,200 from Chesterfield store – a figure that the store is immensely proud of. Fundraising efforts included bag packing, bake sales, raffles and walks.
Close-up M A R K S & S TA R T
This year marks the tenth year of Marks & Start, our industry-leading employability programme
A DECADE OF CHANGING LIVES Great success This year marks the tenth year of our industry-leading employability programme, Marks & Start. In 2004 we asked our customers which four groups of disadvantaged people they would like to see M&S supporting into work, and they told us: single parents, young people, those at risk of homelessness and those with disabilities. Over the past 10 years we have seen more than 10,000 people coming through Marks & Start, and we’re delighted that 40% of those found employment within three months of finishing their placement. There are many positive outcomes of Marks & Start such as increasing employees’ confidence and gaining experience. But the bottom line is that it really does change lives. World class Our ambition is for Marks & Start to become world class – and we are already on the way. In the past two years we have seen the scheme expand to our logistics sector – Castle Donington distribution centre. Marks & Start Logistics works with Remploy, which supports those with a disability or health condition through training and experience to gain work. Over the years we have expanded internationally in our French and Greek retail businesses, and we operate in collaboration with
our suppliers in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Support Buddies are the main point of contact and support for the participants and they are there to act as a friend and to put them at ease. All of our buddies work hard to make the participant feel welcomed by the company, help them understand our values and procedures and begin to develop their confidence and work skills.
Next steps In 2013, we developed the young person strand of Marks & Start – Make Your Mark. Working with youth charity The Prince’s Trust we supported more than 1,400 young people through a bespoke training, mentoring and work experience programme in 100 of our stores across the UK, and we are delighted to be maintaining this commitment at the same level in 2014-2015.
It has given me a future ‘Having suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, my placement at M&S through Remploy has been life changing. I learned so much on the Marks & Start scheme, which gave me valuable experience of the retail world. Now that I have a permanent job at M&S the future is so much brighter and I feel I can start making plans again.’ David Parker Customer Assistant, Silverburn store
Beyond disability ‘Our Marks & Start programme offers a chance for candidates to move back into a work environment and, in many cases, a route into permanent work – either with us or other employers. At M&S we look beyond disability and focus on a person’s ability.’ Betty Niven Coordinator at M&S’s Silverburn store July / August 2014
09 YOUR M&S
International
Pablo Montesinos,
Store Manager, Marbella store Where is your store?
La Cañada Shopping Centre in Marbella, Spain.
What’s your current bestselling product?
Where is the best nearby beach? Playa Pinomar in Marbella.
What M&S product couldn’t you live without? Raspberry Viennese biscuits.
Menswear chino shorts.
Sofia Dalla, Store Manager, Chania store Where is your store? Chania, a major town on the island of Crete.
What’s your current bestselling product?
that is built on a hill right next to the beach.
What M&S product couldn’t you live without? An Indigo denim jacket.
A flax-coloured Womenswear linen shell top.
Where’s your favourite place for a drink?
Where’s your favourite place for a drink?
The Café Palace at the old Venetian harbour of Chania.
Marbella port.
Where is the best nearby beach?
Where’s the best place to sample local cuisine?
My favourite beach is Agioi Apostoloi (Saint Apostles), named after a little church
Taberna Gaspar restaurant in Marbella city centre.
Insider knowledge We asked M&S’s store managers from popular holiday destinations around Europe to tell us a little bit about their stores and share some local secrets with us Konstantinos Papakonstantinou, Store Manager, Rhodes store Where is your store?
The store is located in the city centre of Rhodes on one of its most commercial streets.
What’s your current bestselling product? Wide-leg pure linen trousers.
Where’s your favourite place for a drink? My favourite spot during the
S store, ask someone to take outside it an a picture of you d se nd it to us at Employee.co mm spencer.com s@marks-andand tell us w hat you thought of it.
Where is your store?
Tigne Mall, Malta. summer period is the Galaxy lounge café, which is located on the roof of the Park Hotel.
Where’s the best place to sample local cuisine?
The Sea Star restaurant in the Old Town.
What M&S product couldn’t you live without? Non-iron shirts.
What’s your current bestselling product? Cappuccino.
Where’s your favourite place for a drink? Tex Mex in Sliema. It has the most amazing cocktails and Mexican food platters.
Can you tell us about a local hidden gem?
L’Artist restaurant in Sliema.
Where is the best nearby beach?
I like Mellieha Bay, a huge sandy beach.
What M&S product couldn’t you live without? July / August 2014
Where are yo on holiday th u going is year? If you spot an M&
Swiss hazelnut chocolate bar.
Tara
Tigne Store MMifsud, a Mall S impnager, ly Fo od Sto re
Everything’s
Left to right: Sarah Smith, from Cheshire Oaks store, and Head of Lingerie Design, Soozie Jenkinson
July / August 2014
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YOUR M&S
New Rosie range
Rosie
OUR PICK OF THE BUNCH Some of the pieces available in the new range
Head of Lingerie Design Soozie Jenkinson chats to Customer Assistant and bra fitter Sarah Smith, from Cheshire Oaks store, about the launch of the first smoothing lingerie in our Rosie for Autograph range Soozie:
July / August 2014
We use French-designed lace and silk detailing to ensure that the collection remains true to its heritage of beautifully designed lingerie, while a colour palette of black and champagne means that the items are easy to wear. The delicate lilac rose print, which I love, adds a touch of elegance to the range. Our customers tend to be very loyal to both bra and knicker shapes, so we created the range to comprise balcony, bralet and plunge bra shapes, as well as a slip, body and Brazilian, thong and high waist knicker styles. The 20-piece line is as practical as it is beautiful: memory foam technology and bonded edges provide a seamless silhouette. What Rosie particularly loves about this new collection is that the bras have been designed with multi-way functionality, making them completely versatile under clothing. What do you think our customers will make of it, Sarah? s
Rosie for Autograph, which we launched in 2012, has become our biggest selling lingerie range – and it’s not hard to see why. Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley has impeccable taste and we have always worked in collaboration with her to incorporate her unique ideas and inspiration – which often come from vintage items that she has found in flea markets – into our designs. We know that our customers love the silk and lace pieces from the collection, but we also know that smoothing T-shirt bras are extremely popular – so our aim was to combine the two in a brand new range; one that is feminine yet functional and versatile. This new smoothing range is about everyday luxury. Every piece is made using a premium, lightweight fabric, chosen for its super-soft feel, and has Rosie at its heart with the rose motif that we incorporate into every design and detail.
W H AT A B O DY
SLIP IT ON
Rosie for Autograph Body Champagne, T81/6277Z, £29.50
Rosie for Autograph Slip Black, T81/6277Y, £35
TA K E T H E P L U N G E
TIMELESS ELEGANCE
Rosie for Autograph Plunge Lilac Mix, T81/6277P, £25
Rosie for Autograph Plunge Champagne, T81/6277P, £25
SUCH A SMOOTHY
50S CHIC
Rosie for Autograph Smoothing Brazilian Lilac Mix, T81/6277A, £12.50
Rosie for Autograph High Waist Knicker Champagne, T81/6277W, £14
PRIORITY
OUR JOURNEY In 2010, we began to transform M&S from a British high street retailer into one that is international and serves customers both online and in store. Over the past three years we have all worked hard to build the necessary business infrastructure to ensure that M&S is fit for the future. As we enter the delivery phase of our journey, we take a look at the achievements so far and hear from some of our employees about our three major priorities for 2014/15.
Message from Marc Bolland
‘We have gone through a period of profound and transformational change – and I’d like to thank you all for your dedication and hard work. We must now build on the foundations that we have laid.’
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15 YOUR M&S
The Plan
TURNING AROUND GM WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED SO FAR l
W e’re refocusing on quality, style and fit, introducing better fabrics, more innovation and taking greater care on the details.
l
e acted on customer feedback, including W improving smaller size availability and adding sleeves to more than 80% of our dresses.
l
W e gave our sub-brands clearer identities so customers could find which was right for them.
l
W e’re improving presentation and layout in our stores and every store now has Dress and Coat shops.
Sally Ambrose
Head Buyer, per una, Indigo, Footwear and Accessories Paddington office ‘We’ve had great reactions from the fashion press in the past few seasons, which helps us continue to build our design and quality credentials, but there is still work to do to win back our customers to GM. We will continue to focus on quality, style and innovation, as well as improving our range so our customers get the best choice at all our stores, as well as online. ‘Our new Sourcing Directors are helping us speed up our supply chain, improve margins and offer greater value to our customers and stores will be able to offer more variety and choice of clothing to their customers. We’re taking a step-by-step approach to improving GM, and will continue to raise the bar by upgrading our ranges each season and putting customers at the heart of everything we do.’
Our customers have told us how much they appreciate the improvements we have made to our presentation in stores. There are more changes to come as our new store format roll-out continues – we will have refreshed Menswear departments in our top 70 stores by Christmas and Beauty departments in a further 100 stores. Elaine Shirley, Customer Assistant, Livingston store
July / August 2014
In-store presentation Now it’s even easier to navigate our stores
‘Food performs extremely well, but as a business we still look to improve availability and choice. Our full range is in 110 stores and we’re excited to learn that this will be extended, and that we’ll be opening more Simply Food stores in the UK and overseas.’
PRIORITY
Elaine Woodward, Section Manager, Evesham store
2
Summer of flavour Classic dishes with new taste combinations
DRIVE FOOD GROWTH WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED SO FAR A n impressive 18 quarters of positive like-for-like sales growth and satisfaction ratings at an all-time high. l Unrivalled innovation: our product developers source products from around the world, bringing to life our mission to delight and excite our customers with high quality, good value products. lT his year alone, we’ve introduced Bolivian fruit, Macedonian wine and American Posh Dogs barbecue hotdogs, among others. We expanded our healthy food offer with Delicious and Nutritious, a range of salads and flatbreads inspired by Middle Eastern and Asian flavours. l We’ve improved our efficiency and margins without compromising quality. lW e’ve been energising our Food Hall with cooking demos and Event Zones. l
‘Customers love M&S food – the response to Summer of Flavour was fantastic. But we aren’t standing still. We are continuing to develop new products, including our first frozen recipe dishes, and expanding our healthy eating categories. We’ll also be rolling out our Tasting Kitchens and adding more theatre to our store environments. SERENA PHILIPSON PRODUCT DEVELOPER, PADDINGTON OFFICE
17 WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED SO FAR W e launched our new website, M&S.com in February, our 24/7 shop window, which will become our virtual flagship. l The website provides clearer, more consistent product information, a better view of stock availability and inspiring editorial content. lO ur new distribution centre at Castle Donington was opened in May 2013 and is key to our future plans for M&S.com. l We introduced Shop Your Way, using our stores as order and collection points for our product range. Some 321 stores are equipped with 1,500 iPads and 40,000 employees have the skills to sell from our website.
PRIORITY
l
3
‘The new platform is performing in line with our expectations. Our stability is better than it ever was on the old platform and we’ve had 5.4 million successful orders and 3.3 million customers migrate to the new site. As expected, every new website has a settling-in period and we’re taking in customer feedback to ensure it reaches its maximum potential.’ ROBBIE TUTT SENIOR PRODUCT OWNER FOR SHOPPING, PADDINGTON OFFICE
DRIVE M&S.COM GROWTH
‘Our Castle Donington distribution centre is a year old and our employees have been working incredibly hard – 95% of all clothing and homeware ordered online is shipped from here. We’re continuing to build capacity ahead of peak Christmas trading.’ Simon Antrobus Operations Manager, Donington distribution centre
July / August 2014
YOUR M&S
The Plan
OUR GLOBAL GROWTH
55
We launched 55 international stores over the past year
455
We now have 455 stores in 54 territories
250
Our aim is to open 250 more overseas stores in the next three years, including flagship stores, standalone Lingerie & Beauty stores and Simply Food stores
N O S E Y E ALL
e – to learn c n e ll e c x E f o andising Centre h c a r – e e M r l to a s u y is b V r De pening within p a h We travelled to s e g n a h c ing about the excit
July / August 2014
‘GREAT VISUAL MERCHANDISING IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING OUR PRODUCT AND KNOWING HOW BEST TO DISPLAY IT. WE WANT YOU TO BE CONFIDENT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SUB-BRANDS, KNOW HOW TO BUILD A CREDIBLE OUTFIT AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAVE A PASSION FOR FASHION.’ FLORENCE DE BOOSERE, STORE ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCT PRESENTATION DIRECTOR
19 YOUR M&S
VM
Jayne Radford REGIONAL VM MANAGER, CENTRAL WEST AND EAST
WHAT CHANGES CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE TO VISUAL MERCHANDISING IN STORES?
US
W
e’ve been working hard to upgrade the quality and fashionability of our GM products, in addition to making improvements to our in-store layouts. The next phase in enhancing our customers’ shopping experience is to help employees build on their visual merchandising skills so that products are displayed in the best possible way in stores. To do this, we will equip employees with the skills to optimise store space and feel more confident about merchandising when replenishing stock. Your regional VM teams are also in place to support your stores, particularly in August when The M&S Way toolkit will launch. We have invested in our in-store decor and new equipment to show our products in the best possible way
July / August 2014
A lot of changes have been implemented over the past 12 months or so, but there are more to come. One change is that we are giving employees the skills and flexibility in terms of interpreting our VM guidelines for their own particular store. As you know, we have a structure in place that means every store has a VM contact to support employees in delivering the best possible presentation. Training will take place with employees who will then coach their team so everyone knows what good VM looks like.
HOW CAN ALL IN-STORE EMPLOYEES PLAY THEIR PART? Product presentation and outfit building are all parts of visual merchandising. We’d like employees to have a greater awareness of these, which is why Fashion Camp took place last year. This summer, we followed up this work with our Winning in Womenswear initiative. But whether it’s outfit building in Womenswear or replenishing products in Food, merchandising really is a part of everyone’s job.
The M&S Way WHAT IS THE M&S WAY? The M&S Way is made up of two key initiatives. The first focuses on launching new communication tools including seasonal style guides, while the second is a training toolkit describing exactly what The M&S Way is. This will help employees to critique and improve their store presentation in all areas. The training includes all areas of presentation, including visual merchandising and styling , and will enable you to improve your contribution to the ‘P’ in PACK.
Getting it right
The key to The M&S Way is really understanding and delivering your principles. Let’s make our shops inspirational and easy to shop – just what our customers are telling us they want!
WHY DO WE NEED IT? So that we can have great-looking stores and sell more full-price fashion to our customers.
WHAT WILL WE LEARN FROM USING IT? The M&S Way training features five bite-sized modules: Customer Journey, Environment, Principles, Visual Merchandising and Styling, and each module will help us to train and up-skill store employees. WHAT DOES A STYLIST DO?
Caroline Wright STYLIST DERBY STORE
My role is to ensure that the mannequins and outfits that we feature throughout the store, both on the shop floor and in the windows, look the absolute best that they can. I work closely with my manager, Emily, to take the VM guidelines that we are provided with by the team in head office, and interpret them so that they fit into our store.
WHAT DO YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOY ABOUT YOUR ROLE? I love the creativity of it, and the fact that it touches every area of the business. Anybody can do it, too; you don’t necessarily have to have any qualifications,
Throughout your store, visual merchandising is part of everyone’s job just a passion for fashion and an eye for detail. It’s a very hands-on role, too, very physical, but I enjoy that.
HOW DO YOU KEEP UP TO DATE WITH FASHION AND TRENDS? I make sure that I do as much reading as I can in my spare time – from fashion magazines like Vogue and Grazia to online blogs and websites like Net-a-Porter, Matches and my-wardrobe.com. I also find the Style and Living section of the new M&S.com to be an invaluable source. But you can get inspiration from anywhere, really. Our store is based in a shopping centre so I often pop into other shops to see what they are doing.
Product presentation is a vital part of visual merchandising Bold colours on mannequins can have a big impact
July / August 2014
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SHOPPERS DECIDE WITHIN FIVE SECONDS WHETHER THEY LIKE A PRODUCT OR OUTFIT
THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER SPENDS 24 MINUTES IN A STORE
DI D YOU K N OW?
Emily Walker VISUAL MERCHANDISING MANAGER DERBY STORE
WHAT DOES VISUAL MERCHANDISING MEAN TO YOU?
days are ever the same, which is great!
To me, visual merchandising is about ensuring that customers feel encouraged and inspired to explore the store – to pick up and touch products – all without feeling that they are being led on a journey. I studied VM as part of my degree, and loved learning about the psychology behind it.
WHY IS NEWNESS SO IMPORTANT WITHIN VISUAL MERCHANDISING?
WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE ENTAIL? I start every day by walking the store with the Store Manager, Naomi, to ensure that our visual displays are of a high standard. At our ready-totrade meeting, we chat to each Section Manager about any sell-outs that they might have had in their departments and any VM changes that are due to be made. This allows me to generate a job list for our team of Stylists. Typically, I spend the rest of the day overseeing and helping out with these jobs. No two
New lines are key to making a section look fresh again to our customers. As a VM Manager, my job is to work with both the visual and commercial teams to ensure that we are being responsive and react with pace to newness. By rotating, refreshing and reviving stock, customers will be more inclined to revisit a department.
21 YOUR M&S
VM
Top VM tips KEEP IT SIMPLE A clean and clutter-free store is the best backdrop for your displays
WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO IN-STORE EMPLOYEES? Think with your customers in mind and work together. At Derby store, we work as one big team and all take enormous pride in the overall look of the store. We know from experience that a good-looking store sells more product, and we keep this at the forefront of our minds.
You might have already seen some of our new product displays in Food
WOULD I WEAR IT? When you are putting outfits together, ask yourself: ‘Do these pieces work together – would I wear this outfit?’
CROSS-SELLING Visual merchandising is our best cross-selling tool so, whether in Womenswear, Menswear, Home or Food, select products that you think customers might like to see together.
COLOUR MANAGEMENT Always try to use colour as directed in the seasonal guidelines.
BE PASSIONATE! Stick to the new basic principles, but make sure you are utilising your own store environment to really bring it to life.
ASK FOR HELP
For more info...
July / August 2014
You will receive more information on these VM changes in July from your regional VM contact
Our investment in great Stylists, VM Managers and Regional VM Managers means you have a fantastic support system – work with them to make a real difference in your store.
Hot off the press It may feel like summer has only just begun, but our Autumn/ Winter 14 clothes are about to arrive in stores. Four employees from Culverhouse Cross store in Cardiff visited our press show, which showcased our new ranges, back in May. Here they tell us about their top choices for the season.
WOMENSWEAR The employees all commented on the clarity of the sub-brands, ‘It’s very easy to identify what is Autograph, such as this outfit, and what is per una,’ Allison told us.
Women’s & Beauty Commercial Manager David Bowen was particularly impressed with the quality of the men’s shoes.
LINGERIE
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Wome Abigail n’s Section Ma of the d Evans with nager ay, an e r item legant he playsuit .
This bracelet caught Women’s Section Co-ordinator Lisa Davies’s eye.
July / August 2014
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YOUR M&S
Press show Lisa pointed out these cute kids’ trousers, available in a rainbow of colours.
ored se chic tailes. ‘The he t e ov l ‘I avi ys Lisa D ity.’ items,’ sael very high qual fabrics fe
KIDSWEAR All the employees noted how strong the kidswear range is this season. ‘It’s trend-led but also age appropriate,’ Abigail told us. ‘There’s something for every occasion, from dainty dresses for weddings to everyday outfits.’
Davi Collezio d Bowen sele ne cted of his fleather jacket this avourit e piecesas one .
MENSWEAR David was blown away by the menswear offer for A/W14. The suits, in particular, caught his eye. ‘They are classic but edgy. Plus, they are outstanding value for money.’
July / August 2014
All wrapped up
Some more highlights from our Autumn/Winter press show, which took place back in May and was visited by employees from Culverhouse Cross store
July / August 2014
YOUR M&S
Press show
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Women’s & Beauty Commercial Manager David Bowen commented on the high quality of the suits in Menswear
ger Mana his n o i t c t ’s Se oved Women il Evans lale coat Abiga una spezi per July / August 2014
Women’s Section Co-ordinator Lisa Davies was impressed with the lingerie and sleepwear on offer
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YOUR M&S
Meet the experts
Meet the experts
Beauty Buyer Louisa Maaldrink chats to Bindi Livett, a Beauty Adviser from High Wycombe store, ahead of the roll-out of 94 Beauty Lite stores Bindi to Louisa: What’s your professional background?
I have ten years’ experience in the beauty industry, mostly in own-label product development and brand management. I set up the Topshop make-up range and was responsible for the own-buy beauty ranges at Superdrug. How do you decide which ranges we should sell?
After identifying gaps in the market and in our ranges, as a team we engage with a host of different brands. Then we edit this to offer customers the very best products that we can source. Top quality and performance are high on the agenda, as are brand philosophy, awareness and price point. How do you discover new ranges and products?
I read a lot of blogs and magazines and we do regular store visits to check what the competition is up to. I am also forever checking what my friends have in their handbags and what women talk about in front of the mirrors in the ladies’ room. We also visit trade fairs and attend seminars on new key ingredients and beauty trends. Do you have a favourite range?
Pure is one of my favourites. I love the Super Active Overnight Oil. The range is developed in house with an excellent ecofactory, which also produces for
SOME BEAUTIFUL FACTS
30
M&S has sold beauty products for 30 years
2,700
We stock 2,700 different products within M&S Beauty
1,300
More than 1,300 of these are own-brand products and the rest are branded
21M
Over the past 12 months we have sold more than 21 million beauty products
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In addition to our 104 Concept Beauty Halls, we will be launching 94 Beauty Lite stores between July and September
very high-end premium brands. All the products are natural and made with as many Britishsourced ingredients as possible. This summer, we are launching the brightening sub-range, Pure Super Grape, which contains the active ingredient resveratrol, which is extracted from M&S wine – all very Plan A! What new products should we be telling customers about?
L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream is one of my all-time favourites, so I’m very excited that customers can now buy it at M&S Beauty. I also love St Tropez Self Tan Luxe Dry Oil, which gives a lovely sheen and develops a natural-looking golden tan overnight. Will our beauty departments be extended to smaller stores?
Yes! We are rolling out 94 Beauty Lite stores that will have 50% of our own labels and 50% other brands. We’re really looking forward to seeing our brands on many high streets around the country and giving even more customers access to our fantastic ranges.
Interview swap Louisa to Bindi: What is your background?
I have always worked in the beauty industry; I left school at 15 and qualified as a hairdresser, then a beautician.
I’ve worked all over London for Estée Lauder, and have been an account manager for Clarins, Prescriptives and a pharmacy-based French skincare brand. So plenty of different roles, but all with one thing in common – making people look beautiful! How do you train to become an M&S Beauty Adviser?
You need to have a beauty qualification to become an M&S BA, then employees have to pass an assessment before they can carry out make-up applications on customers. This is accompanied by skincare courses and in-store training from our external brands. What is your favourite part of your job?
Welcoming both new and regular customers to M&S Beauty and offering them friendly and informative advice. When they come back to see me specifically, I know I’ve done a good job. What questions do customers ask the most?
The most frequent question I get asked is: ‘Which is the best foundation?’, closely followed by: ‘How can I look younger?’ I love being asked these because we have so many relevant and fantastic products that I can show customers. My favourite is Filorga, an anti-ageing brand that really does work! July / August 2014
Left to right: Beauty Adviser Bindi and Beauty Buyer Louisa
Your letters
Lucy Randall of corporate communications finds the answers to your questions
Customers can get confused by our Mix & Match offers and try to combine items from different food ranges. This often results in them getting to the checkout with combinations that do not allow the offer to apply, which can cause hold-ups and reduces customer satisfaction. Why don’t we use different colours to highlight different offers? This would enable customers to easily identify and match the offers, saving time and avoiding confusion at the till. Margaret Wake, Metrocentre Store
something we take very seriously to keep in line with our Plan A commitments. We do indeed provide bins that should be at all till points. This rubbish doesn’t get sorted at store level, it goes into a ‘mixed dry recycling waste bin’ and is sorted and dealt with by Helistrat, our waste provider.
This is an interesting thought, Latika. Until very recently we offered a number of different colours, prints, designs and textures in our tights range. However, sales over the past two years have declined in line with the hosiery market and the trend for sheers and opaques, thanks to high-profile wearers like the Duchess of Cambridge. We haven’t walked away from the idea of having more colourful and interesting tights but have adjusted the mix to complement sales, current trends and demand. We still offer pretty florals in both opaque and heavyweight tights on a seasonal basis. Additionally, in A/W14 we will offer a range of Thermal and Heatgen tights that feature fun cables, ribs, spots and Fair Isle patterns, as well as some embellished tights for the party season.
Bag for Life reminders
Could we design more colourful prints and designs within our ladies tights range? A lot of customers have asked why we don’t sell the kidswear tights in adult sizes as they are so fun and pretty. Latika Jhalli, Chiswick Simply Foods Store
Star Letter
Thanks for this, Margaret. We’re always working to improve the clarity of our customer communications. We use red to highlight deals as we’ve found that it’s recognised by customers to signify a promotion. We’ve consciously not added multiple colours as it may create confusion in store. Our preferred approach is to expand our Mix & Match communication. For example, we have successfully extended our Produce Mix & Match offer to include the whole trading area, rather than a separate Fruit & Veg offer. We’re now looking at a similar approach with our 3 for £10 offers in Protein and Meals. We hope that maintaining the clear use of red to highlight promotions should remove the confusion, while enabling our customers to shop confidently.
Trend-led tights?
A £10 M&S gift voucher for every question featured and £25 for the Star Letter*. We really want to hear from you – we’d love to know what’s on your mind. Please send your letters to the address on p3 of this magazine. *Letters may be edited for publication.
More Plan A packaging
Our handbags come stuffed with paper to help keep their shape. However, a lot of customers ask us to remove this paper when they purchase the bag and it’s thrown away. Would it be possible to have a collection bin at till points to put the paper from handbags in so that it can be recycled? Marie Mackessy, Belfast store
Customers often don’t realise that they have forgotten to bring their carrier bags from their car boot until they’re at our tillpoints, so they have to buy more. Although profits from carrier bag sales go to our charities, would it not be a more positive contribution to Plan A if customers remembered to bring their bags into store in the first place? Could signage be placed at strategic positions in our parking area with a simple message, ‘Have you remembered your bags?’ I think customers would appreciate this reminder. Sue Yule, Leeds Moortown Simply Foods Store Thank you for your idea, Sue, and we totally agree! Our customers could always use a gentle reminder to bring their Bags for Life or old carriers with them rather than need to buy a new one. We have been adding large Bag for Life signs to the sides of the trolley shelters in all new stores with car parks: you may have already seen them – don’t they look great?
Thanks for your query, Marie. Recycling and waste are July / August 2014
Sit back, relax and play these games Pathfinder There are 12 birds hidden in this grid. Starting in the shaded square, can you trace a path that finds them all? You can only visit each letter once, and the path goes up, down and sideways, but not diagonally. To help you, the birds are to be found in alphabetical order.
WIN!
An M&S Beauty goodie bag! Packed with gorgeous products, this prize is worth more than ÂŁ50 and includes our M&S Beauty picks from highly sought-after brands Bliss, Josh Wood and REN. For more information on M&S Beauty and to read an insightful interview between one of our Beauty Advisers and one of our Beauty Buyers, turn to page 24.
Albatross, blackbird, cormorant, dove, egret, flamingo, goldcrest, heron, ibis, jackdaw, linnet, magpie.
Pamper yourself with one of our gorgeous goodie bags. Email us with your name, store or office details at the email address below by 22 August
Terms & conditions Entries must be received by 23:59 on Friday 22 August 2014. The prize draw is open to employees of the Marks & Spencer Group of Companies who are permanent residents of the UK and ROI and are aged 18 or over only. Only one entry per person is permitted. No responsibility will be taken for late, lost, indecipherable or misdirected entries. One winner will be drawn at random on Monday 25 August 2014 under the supervision of an independent person. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable, subject to availability and there is no cash alternative. The winner will be notified by Friday 29 August 2014 by phone. M&S reserves the right to substitute the prize for one which is, in its sole discretion, of equal value. M&S reserves the right to cancel the prize draw at any stage if deemed necessary due to circumstances outside its control. M&S is not liable for any delay or failure to perform any obligation to the winner or other entrants that is caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control or by any act or omission of any third party. The name and county of the winner will be available by sending a stamped addressed envelope to YOUR M&S magazine at the M&S Office at Waterside House. The prize draw shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales. The promoter of the prize draw is Marks & Spencer plc.
Let us entertain you... Why not try this Sudoku for a quick lunchtime brain workout? Good luck.
E S E R I B J A C
R T H O N I S D K
C D L O G O G A W
S O R B L I N I L
S B T A
A M A N N
A L O R V E L T E
C D C M O E F M A
K R R O D G T E G
B I A N T R E I P
Do you have some thing to say? Email Employee.Comms@marks-and-spencer.com
Derby store held a bake sale to raise funds for their local charity – Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre.
Omagh store wore red for a day to raise funds and awareness for Action Cancer.
INTOUCH WITH YOUR COMMUNIT Y We take a look at just some of the charity work that stores have been participating in lately, from The Big Beach and Waterway Clean-up to our Charity Challenge
Volunteers taking part in the Big Beach and Waterway Clean-up in Poole.
THE BIG BEACH CLEAN-UP
7,776
An incredible 7,776 volunteers took part in the Big Beach and Waterway Clean-up this year.
EMPLOYEES FROM LIVINGSTON STORE RAISED £750 FOR BREAKTHROUGH BREAST CANCER AND PROSTATE CANCER UK WITH A SPONSORED TRAMPOLINING EVENT.
TOUR DE CENTRE OUEST
£8,000
In a tribute to the Tour de France, a team of 31 employees from stores in the central west region cycled 180 miles in one day and raised an amazing £8,000 for Prostate Cancer and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Volunteers at Blackpool’s Big Beach and Waterway Clean-up were joined by a special guest.