YOUR M&S PLUS
win a gourme hampe t worth ÂŁ r 25 0
Christmas angels
Twins Zara and Zienna from our M&S family bring double the magic to our festive photo shoot
AZINE YOUR JOB YOUR MAG ISSUE 29 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
01 Cover V3 M&S Iss29.indd 1
31/10/11 22:53:47
Anna Brewer from our Eastbourne store enjoys being pampered for our festive photo shoot – and so do her adorable twins! See p12-15
Our Christmas Press Show was packed full of innovative products that the media and our customers are sure to love. See p24-26
YOUR M&S Photography in this issue: Penny Wincer/Era Management, Iona Hodgson, iStockphoto, Ingrid Rasmussen. Stylist: Laurence Pasquier. Hair and Make-Up: Britta D. Illustration: Rose Lloyd. Puzzles p32: Guy Haslam.
S E R U T IN PIC One of our twin cover stars, Zara, enjoys a tasty M&S chocolate treat. See p12-15
It’s food, glorious food as we explore all the delicious dishes for this festive season. See p20-22
contact:
Internal Communications – extn 183283 Internal email: Internal Communications External email: Internal.Communications2@ marks-and-spencer.com Post: Internal Communications, Marks & Spencer, Mailbox 8.17, Waterside House, 35 North Wharf Road, London W2 1NW
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.
Find out about the international brands we’re bringing you exclusively. See p23
2 | YOUR M&S
02-03 Contents V3 M&S Iss29.indd 2
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WELCOME
FROM OUR EDITOR CL ARE GOULTY
Our Lifesize Emily Button is just one of the amazing gifts we have in stores now. See p16-17
It’s that exciting time of year again – when stores are brimming with festive fashion and fabulous foodie treats and there’s a certain magic in the air shared by big and little kids alike. We have a packed Christmas issue for you, which showcases how unique M&S really is. From amazing gifts and very special Christmas food, to exclusive international brands and the spirit of innovation that underpins everything we do... all this is ‘Only at Your M&S’. We also have incredible employees who are committed to delivering the best service to all our customers, like Anna Brewer, who stars in our festive photo shoot on p12 with her family. We also hear about Margaret King and her battle with adversity, on p8, and two staff members who are life-savers – quite literally – on p5. Plus, check out our award-winning Store Managers of the Quarter on p27. Finally, have a wonderful festive season. As our new ad featuring The X Factor finalists says... May all your Christmas dreams come true.
contents OUR M&S
4 YOUR NEWS ROUND-UP
Read a festive message from Marc Bolland, p4; Meet our life-saving employees, p5; and discover how you’re helping charities
FEATURES 12 OUR FESTIVE STARS
Christmas comes early for Anna Brewer and her family at our festive photo shoot
16 YOUR GIFTS... IT’S A WRAP
We give you the lowdown on all the very best presents for the family... ‘Only at Your M&S’
18 MAY ALL YOUR CHRISTMAS DREAMS COME TRUE Meet The X Factor finalists who star in our brand new Christmas ad campaign
20 TURKEYS, TRIMMINGS & TREATS
A modern twist on all the traditional Christmas food you and our customers adore
23 FLAVOURS OF THE WORLD
Your introduction to the international food brands that launched exclusively at M&S
24 SHOWCASING OUR INNOVATIONS We unveiled all of our most exciting products to the press... and here’s the inside track
As always, our employees showed their generous and imaginative sides in raising money for charities, including Breakthrough Breast Cancer. See p10
PEOPLE Clare Goulty Editor
27 CELEBRATING SUCCESS
Meet the Store Managers who have been recognised for their amazing achievements
28 YOUR LETTERS
We answer all of your burning questions
30 A WORLD OF CHEER
A snapshot of M&S around the world and how we make Christmas special
32 YOUR BREAK…
Take some time out to do our brain teasers and win a gourmet Christmas hamper
YOUR M&S | 3
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OUR M&S Triumphant: W inner Luke Ev ans (left) with Jason Da nciger and Al ex Passmore
Thank you for your hard work Wake up and
I
n the run-up to Christmas, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your hard work throughout the year and for your best efforts over the all-important peak period. As you know, it is our most demanding and potentially rewarding time, so it is important that we all pull together to support each other. I’m looking forward to working in stores during December and being part of a real team effort. More than ever, we need to listen to our customers and they are always telling us it is the small things that make the biggest difference. So whether it is a smile at the till, or helping them find that extra special product or gift, we can all help make their visit to M&S a happy one. We’ve got some fantastic, innovative products which will help M&S shine on the High Street this Christmas. Thank you in advance for your hard work and good luck to you and your teams over the coming weeks. Bestt wishes,
Marc Bolland, CEO
smell the coffee
The M&S Barista of the Year 2011 championship was held in September and Luke Evans from our Worthing store scooped the coveted title
T
he heat was on – quite literally – in the eighth annual M&S Barista of the Year championship. There were more than 300 entries from M&S baristas across the UK and Ireland and, after pressure-filled in-store assessments over the summer months, a shortlist of 11 finalists was drawn up. At the hotly contested championship in London, the finalists were required to produce four perfect espressos and four perfect lattes. Bonus points were awarded for latte art – in which they made a pattern on the coffee using only the milk and a great deal of skill. The test didn’t end there either. Each finalist was asked to devise a speciality coffee-based drink using only M&S ingredients. The imaginative flavours for the iced, blended and hot drinks included cherry, caramel, hazelnut and cinnamon. The judging panel included last year’s winner, Alex Passmore from our Exeter store, and M&S Café Operations Manager, David Condliffe. Jason Danciger, Head of Hospitality and In Store Food Production, presented the awards. Third place went to Sean Linden from Dundrum, while Amy Jackson from Cheshunt was named runner-up. But it was Luke Evans who triumphed. He was presented with the David Williamson trophy, which is his for one year, and £250 of M&S vouchers. He will also have the opportunity to visit the Matthew Algie roastery in Glasgow to roast his own coffee. Well done to Luke! dly wave their certificates
Best baristas: our finalists prou
4 | YOUR M&S
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M&S and Macmillan are full of beans
F
rom dressing up in crocodile costumes to sitting in baths full of coffee, there were lots of inspiring fundraising ideas for the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, held
on 30 September. All money raised by M&S employees and customers will help fund the Macmillan Support Line: 0808 808 0 000. Thank you to everyone for the support.
OUR M&S
‘I can’t really p ut words what this into m but I want to th eans, ank Newlife and M &S for giving me my legs in time for colleg e!’
A
With all yo your hard work and support we have raised more than £100,000 from pin badges and recipe book sales alone, with a lot more still to come from your fundraising. Over the two years together, M&S has raised almost £1 million for Macmillan Cancer Support and we could not have done this without you! Joanne Lawson, M&S Buyer Hospitality
Our employees are life-savers... literally
lexander Jord an, 16, who has a progress ive muscle degenerative co ndition, showed his gratitude after receiving a £20,000 pow ered wheelchair. Th is was a result of M&S clothing returns being donated to children’s disability charity Newlife Foundation, which recycles and sells them . It was the first an niversary of th eM grants partner ship with the ch &S arity in September an d £182,108-w orth of disability equi pment has be en given to 62 children so far. For deta ils, see www.new lifecharity.co.uk .
Alison Swinburne and Jacqueline Donaldson from our Newcastle store jumped into action when a customer suddenly stopped breathing
W
hen Café Refresh Adviser Alison Swinburne and Foods Service & Tilling Adviser Jacqueline Donaldson went to work at our Newcastle store on a pleasant day in August, little did they know they would end up performing potentially life-saving first aid. When a female customer suddenly stopped breathing, Alison (on the left in our picture, right) and Jacqueline (far right) performed CPR while waiting for an ambulance crew to arrive. Fortunately, the customer (centre in our picture) went on to recover and was so grateful she returned to thank Alison and Jacqueline. The North East Ambulance Service commended Alison and Jacqueline in a letter: ‘Without doubt, the initial actions of your staff, plus the assistance they gave to our crews, contributed to the overall outcome of the incident. All the staff the crew came into contact with acted in a calm and professional manner, allowing them to carry out their duties smoothly and effectively.’
YOUR M&S | 5
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Store Manager Elaine Moulds rom Derby from Westfield gets a surprise…
Elaine meets Twiggy
Elaine Moulds had the chance to meet Twiggy at a recent M&S photo shoot. Elaine, who has worked at M&S for 35 years, said: ‘Meeting Twiggy was a great experience. I had my hair and make-up done by experts and Twiggy was great – she made me feel very relaxed.’ Elaine says the highlight of her career at M&S has been watching the business grow and change – and being part of it. ‘I’ve built great relationships with colleagues and it really is the people who make the business so special.’
Read M&S Stories
W
e’ve launched a new social website so our customers – and employees – can find out more from the insiders at their favourite brand. M&S Stories features the latest launches, innovations and recipes from our food and drink teams, as well as fashion trends, tips and previews from our buyers and designers. As if all this wasn’t enough, there’s advice from our interiors experts and updates on CHECK our Plan A commitment to becoming the world’s most OUT sustainable major retailer by 2015. There www.m a are also behind-the-scenes andspe rks videos from photo shoots and com/st ncer. ories introductions to dedicated and passionate employees like you.
6 | YOUR M&S
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OUR M&S What are the M&S products you couldn’t live without?
’s Julie McLeod
Food for thought
Our ordering service is extended and expanded We have expanded our Food to Order range and made more than 130 dining lines from our Food Hall available to order online for collection in your local store, regardless of how big or small the store. These include Beef Bourguignon from the Bistro range, Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillets, as well as our Gluten Free and Super Soya products. Prior to this, only the Food to Order Entertaining range – designed for parties and special occasions – was available to order online.
It’s now much easier for customers to order all our Food to Order products. They can order online from home at www.marksandspencer.com, or shop on the move via mobile web at www.marksandspencer.com/ foodtoorder. Customers can also order by phone – 0845 604 4 604 – or in participating stores at the Food Information Desk. The customer can then collect their feast from their local store on the date and at the time they’ve requested.
T
P
Our Buying Assistant names her top beauty products. As part of a buy-1-get-1-halfprice offer until Christmas Eve, they’re great value... PERFECTION GOLD NAIL POLISH This shade can see you through the festive season. It’s perfect for adding that festive sparkle day or night.
Protecting your precious presents So, you’ve spent hours picking out the perfect Christmas presents for the entire family, but are you aware of how to keep these gifts safe and insured? Some Christmas shoppers aren’t, according to a study by YouGov. It showed that on average respondents would be likely to leave up to £175-worth of Christmas shopping in the boot of their cars – and 30% don’t know if this is insured. In fact, shopping left in the car boot isn’t covered on all motoring policies. It’s also worth considering how you keep presents out of the hands of little explorers inside the home! The research found the most common place in which to hide Christmas presents was in the wardrobe, followed by under the bed. Other more inventive hiding places were in suitcases, at work and in caravans!
Keep your home and presents safe... • Contact your insurer to presents in sheds – make sure any expensive your policy may not gifts are covered. cover it. • Keep receipts and photos • Don’t leave packaging of gifts to assist in claims. outside your house as • Be careful about storing it may invite thieves.
• If you’re going away for Christmas, ensure your home is secure, ask neighbours to be watchful and set timer switches for lights.
PERFECTION SUPER GLOSS LIPSTICK Red Carpet Hollywood Glamour wouldn’t be complete without the classic glossy red lip. I love the even coverage and longlasting vibrant colour, giving me smoother, fuller lips.
PERFECTION GOLD/ BRONZE EYE SHADOW This duo is perfect for creating a glamorous eye. The gold opens the eye whilst the bronze will define. Blend for a seamless, shimmery finish. Perfect for contouring the eyes.
YOUR M&S | 7
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Jump start
The Marks & Start programme helped Margaret King cope with tragedy – and she’s now a loyal employee
T
hrough our Marks & Start programme we help hundreds of people each year who are disabled, homeless, young and unemployed or lone parents to gain the confidence they need to get back to work. We recently held the Plan A Volunteer Awards 2011 (see enclosed Supplement) and one of the categories was Best Marks & Start Achiever – to recognise people who have become loyal employees. One of the winners was Margaret King, who was widowed at the age of 22 and left to care for her young daughter. Through the Marks & Start programme, Margaret transformed her life and colleagues have enjoyed watching her confidence develop.
Margaret’s Mystery Shop results are always perfect and she is now on hand to act as a buddy for other Marks & Start placement individuals. As well as this recognition, Margaret won a place along with 10 other M&S Plan A Volunteer award winners as an Olympic torch bearer. She said: ‘I’m over the moon with the award. It’s good to be thought of so highly and to be in the spotlight for a night!’ This is just one success story from the Marks & Start programme at the Forge Outlet store. They currently have 11 Marks & Start employees and are due to take on another four – and these individuals are sure to start making positive differences in their lives, just like Margaret.
T09/0538T £139
Santa! m o r f r e et a lett CC at
G
SP port the N e time p u s d n a … the sam
tmas C’s Chris the NSPC ging customers g in rt o p p ey is su encoura M&S Mon r the first time, by from Santa for a fo er n tt ig e a L p a cam order C. loyees to the NSPC to 5 £ f and emp o n ed funds o d ti e a e n o -n dd m much o nalised fr suggeste s fit e p n vely erso ty be The chari ated child gets a lo winner! See omin e is a 839 9 304 and the n anta – so everyon call 0845 r o s S day. & m -m o ristmas r a child to letter fr .org.uk/ch rder your letter fo c c p s .n w o ww d to details an for more
T03/6692i £69.50
Best of British W ith a focus on British designs, British fabrics and British classic tailoring, autumn saw the launch of our new Menswear Heritage Collection – think chunky cable knitwear, vintage-inspired jumpers, duffel coats, check shirts, blazers, brogues, Harris tweed jackets and flat caps. Not only were they inspired by British tradition, many of the jackets and scarves were made with British fabrics from UK mills. The new range of British Heritage knitwear is available in 130 stores and online. Our capsule Heritage Collection is in 12 stores and online.
8 | YOUR M&S
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OUR M&S
In the bag :60 Here are the vital statistics of how we’re reducing the number of carrier bags used across the UK
What’s the picture in Wales?
Wales became the first UK country to introduce a compulsory charge for single-use carrier bags last month after the Welsh Assembly passed new legislation. This means we will be charging 5p for small, medium and large carrier bags in general merchandising, as well as for small mini-vest carriers and the three horticulture bags in Food. We’re already ahead of the game by charging 5p for the food-vest carriers and cake carriers.
5p
80%
charge on carrier bags, introduced four years ago, is acknowledged as the principal reason for the reduction in bags.
reduction in carrier bags in our Food business across the UK since 2006.
94
£5.2
million single use carrier bags used in our Food business in 2010/11, compared with…
million raised for environmental charity Groundwork through the carrier bag charge and profits now go to our Forever Fish campaign.
464
million single-use carrier bags used in our Food business in 2006/07.
SECOND
INTERVIEW Director of International, Jan Heere, on exciting overseas plans and his favourite M&S foods…
What are your initial impressions of M&S and the international team? I feel very welcome and am delighted to join the team. I find them very committed to the international project and enthusiastic when approaching new ideas. I feel like I’ve been here a long time already! What makes M&S such an exciting company to work for? Firstly, its history – M&S has been a relevant company for more than a century. Secondly, M&S has great brand awareness around the world and enormous potential in international markets. I feel privileged to have joined. How do you intend to spend your first year in the job? So far, I’ve been in the business for six months and I’ve visited 17 markets. Being a truly international retailer means I need to invest time to understand the intricacies of each country that we trade in or want to trade in. Which aspects of the role are you most excited about? To be honest, all of them. What’s your favourite M&S Christmas food item? I love our Milk, Dark and White Chocolate Biscuits, and not just at Christmas!
Jumper T30/6010 £59 Coat T16/6002 £179
T16/3101B £199
Finally, have you chosen any M&S gifts for your loved ones this Christmas? I always buy my Christmas presents at the last minute but I’ve already spotted some interesting products from per una speziale and Autograph, and there are some great gift ideas from Conran and Marcel Wanders.
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Your discount
When you go online you can choose from even more products than you’ll find in our stores and, as an M&S employee, you can save 20% online all year round. Everyone receives a unique online code when they join the company and, once you’ve entered it for your first purchase, the discount is applied to all future purchases automatically. If you don’t know your online discount code, call HR Shared Services on x74 74 74 74 internally or 0345 30 4 74 74. Getting set up is quick and easy – and means you can make the most of your discount when you shop online!
Fir play
F
or the th very fi firstt time, ti we h have b been taking misshapen and rejected Douglas fir Christmas trees and putting them to good use. They have been chipped and used to smoke products that include streaky bacon, lardons and smoked salmon to give a subtle festive flavour. This is in line with our Plan A commitment to become the most sustainable major retailer and d it demonstrates how we’re innovating. g.
NEW
Getting our just desserts M&S has expanded its desserts offering with new sweet treats
We launched our new dessert brand, called Dessert Menu, in September and it features lots of delicious puddings that will make any dining table look spectacular. Our product developers travelled the globe to discover the best ingredients and designs. Here are some of the highlights of the new Dessert Menu offering: Blood Orange & Champagne Panna Cotta Crush £ 3.79 Divine White Chocolate & Lime Dessert £ 3.79 Kir Royale Snow Globes £ 3.79 Mini Macaroons £ 4.99 (pictured below)
Think pink!
T
FOO/P5 /914588
Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October was a great success and we hope to have raised £750,000
hroughout October, we sold a selection of pink womenswear, lingerie, home, accessories, flowers and food products, all of which carried a 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Pink ribbons and key rings were also sold at till points in our stores. Meanwhile, employees came up with their own novel fundraising ideas, including one group from our Stafford store who organised a coast-to-coast cycle ride. Breakthrough Breast Cancer said they were humbled and amazed by the passion, dedication and imagination of store employees. It is hoped the M&S activities throughout the month will raise £750,000. We’ll keep you posted!
Providing
L
ook out for the festive red packaging on the M&S Food on the Move range. And let customers know that by purchasing from this range they’ll be helping those in need – through housing and homelessness charity Shelter. Also visit the new website at www.shelterelf.org.uk, where you can invite friends for an M&S Food on the Move lunch. They choose what to eat and you just collect it and pay at your local store.
5p
from every purchase of the M&S Christmas Food on the Move lunch range, in festive red packaging, will go to Shelter this Christmas.
11,000
people in desperate housing need will be supported through the Shelter helpline as a result of this M&S partnership.
£4.5m has been raised for Shelter over the past six years by M&S customers.
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OUR M&S
We’ve invested huge sums of money to make a safe and secure shopping environment for colleagues and customers
Crime busters Here we follow Andy Conway, Regional Security Manager, for the day and get the inside track on combating crime at M&S…
W
e’re fortunate that most of our colleagues are loyal and hard-working. ‘Yet, there is a small minority who aren’t,’ says Regional Security Manager, Andy Conway (pictured). ‘And it is these people who have a negative impact on the business, and everyone within it.’ Internal crime peaks at Christmas, so we need to work together to protect our stores and our profits – and to make our workplace safer. We are not alone in suffering from internal crime. A recent survey by the British Retail Consortium found that crime costs the retail industry more than £1.1bn annually. This is why we’re investing heavily in resources and technology to combat the problem. Andy has worked for M&S for 11 years. His role involves supporting 44 stores in his region (Simply Food Regions North London and London City; and Premier Major High Street Home Counties North). ‘I give advice on internal crime, external crime and procedural errors, which are the three key areas through which we lose money. We provide information on the best
✆
Make a difference to M&S
course of action for stores to take and we get involved in the investigations too.’ Andy explains there are around 500 security officers working across the network of stores, as well as a national resource of store detectives – who leave no stone unturned in their quest to stamp out theft: ‘We take security very seriously at M&S and invest heavily in this area. ‘We undertake reviews of stores and focus resources and investment on the ones with the highest rates of crime and shrinkage in order to get results.’ We have seen significant improvements in the shrinkage results of these focus stores. In some, our losses for GM have dropped by as much as 35% from April to September 2011. And these are the tools we are using...
e-Learning tool
SECURE
Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)
This is our most powerful tool to detect internal crime, in particular cash loss. This system monitors all till transactions and can identify dishonest, unusual, irregular, fraudulent activity, including sales and loading of gift cards.
Report anything suspicious to your line manager, or by calling the confidential Think Again helpline on UK 0800 015 0 281, ROI 1800 411 063.
The new e-Learning DVD covers fitting rooms, searches and EAS (see below). This is in addition to the current modules on till losses, general stock loss and food stock loss. Every employee should have access to this e-Learning DVD, so please refresh your memory by watching it again.
Remote CCTV
We’re using our CCTV systems even more proactively by allowing RSMs and security staff to dial in remotely at any time. They can check employees are safe and secure, as well as ensuring company policies are adhered to, including cash management and unlocking and locking the building. It means centralised, streamlined, costeffective monitoring of CCTV 24/7. We introduced merchandise tagging several years ago and it remains part of our strategy. This is making a real impact – with £2.9m in savings so far.
While these systems can help, you are our greatest asset in combating internal crime. ‘If you see something suspicious, or need advice, call our Think Again helpline. This is a problem for everyone, not just our security teams,’ concludes Clint Reid, Head of Corporate Security & Fraud. YOUR M&S | 11
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Our festive stars Christmas came early for our per una Customer Assistant Anna Brewer and her family when they were chosen to star in our cover photo shoot
12 | YOUR M&S
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FEATURE Reindeer Cushion T47/3419 £19.50; Dolls T79/8401B and T79/8401A £8 each; Chocolates £0.99; Tree Decorations £2.50-£5
The girls pyjama loved the buy the s. I’m going to m a pair e a ch Anna
M
eet our striking Christmas cover stars: Anna, James and their girls Zara and Zienna. The family, from Eastbourne in East Sussex, were delighted to be picked to appear in our cover and fashion photo shoots. This year, we decided to whisk our models off to a glamorous location house so we could not only showcase some of our new Autograph and M&S Woman clothing collections but the stunning new homeware range, too.
A family affair
▲
Anna has worked for M&S for more than two years: ‘As a family we have lots of connections to M&S in Eastbourne. James’s mum works on the Food Desk and my Nan and Aunty used to work there, too. So I’ve always known what a great company it is to work for and when I started as a Christmas temp, I really hoped I would get a permanent job. I work
Zara a
Our go nd Zienn a rg are on eous twin m ly o to be tr four but they dels u the da e profession proved y. Mum als on ‘The gir A ls are n nna said: quite s hy but ormally this bro them o u u They b t of their she ght lls. ehaved and se eing th so well eir face when th s up in s ey were dres s uch be autiful ed clothes On the was wonderf u tr girls w ain home, th l. ere tell ing the e passen o g day an ers about th ther eir d talking they couldn ’t a bands bout the tutu stop a s loved th nd jewellery. , hair T on the e dolls, too. hey De Christm as list! finitely ’
Anna wears: Pyjamas T37/3297 £12; T37/3296 £12. James wears: North Coast Top T28/1719N £18; Fleece Joggers T28/1611B £25; Socks T10/9499 £8. Zara and Zienna wear: Pyjamas T86/4473A £11-£13.
12-15 Cover Story V3 M&S Iss29.indd 13
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▲
part-time and my hours are perfect for fitting around the children. ‘Working at M&S has so many other benefits. The discounts are great for buying clothes for the girls, which really helped with buying their school uniforms this year.’
Why Christmas is special to us
Anna explains: ‘James works away a lot of the time at sea, but he’s always home at Christmas, so that makes it special as we are together as a family. This year is going to be very special as James’s sister has moved back from Australia, and this will be the first time we’ve all shared Christmas with her.’
Having my hair and make-up done made me feel so special and my favourite fashion item was the Autograph suede court shoes. I love high heels!
Tasty
‘We alw treats ourselv ays treat e food fo s to M&S r and th Christmas, is also lo year we are o to the king forward am Christm azing and bo as cake tt we got le of wine to sam at the ple ph We’ll b oto shoot. e stock up on ing both!’ Anna wears: M&S Woman Red Dress T42/1233 £39.50; Shoes T02/2678 £49; Necklace T00/0082 £19.50. James wears: Autograph Trousers T15/0716A £94; Autograph Shirt T25/3832A £35; Tie T12/7436 £7; Shoes T03/1461A £65.
14 | YOUR M&S
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FEATURE
Ann n a wea ears: M M& &S Woma Wom n Gold o Dr D ess ss T42/1 2/1 /1237 23 £4 £49 9.5 50. 50. 0 J Ja Jam ames e wea wears: rs: s:: Au Autog tograp tog raph rap h Shir Sh hir irt T11 11/0 /0 0812 08 12B B £35; 5; Nav avy v Chin hinos o T17 os T1 /63 /6332B 32B £2 £29.5 9.5 9 9. .50; 0; Sh Shoes Sho e T03 es 3/14 /1494A 94A £49.5 £49.5 9 50; 0 Bel 0; Be t T09/ T09/ 09/263 /263 263 63 35B £19 1 .5 19 50. Zar 50 ara a (ab abo a bo ove v left) t)) wea we ears: rs Sp pot ot Flo lower ower Dr D ess s T7 T 7/6 6698 6 X £2828-£30 £30.. Zie £30 Zienna nna (a nn (abov abov bov ve right rig httt)) wears rs: Vel Ve e ve vet ett Dr e Dress e T7 ess 77/6 7/6699 699 99 9X £28£2 288-30 30. Bot 30. Bo h wear e :S Sh hoes o T7 T72/6 2/6453 2/6 453 £8 £8-1 -10. -10
12-15 Cover Story V3 M&S Iss29.indd 15
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Your gifts... it’s a wrap
Whether it’s make-up for mums, fragrances for friends, or clothing for children, we’ve got plenty of present ideas that all our customers, including you, will love...
Lifesize Emily Button
Marcel Wanders Chalkboard Percy Pig
£ 75
T79/9468
£10
T81/5079
Big presents for little monkeys Faux Fur Trim Pom-Pom Slippers Cotton Rich Dino Pyjamas
£12-16
£10-12
Percy Pig Lunchbox
£10
T72/5111B
T86/3236D
Marcel Wanders Knuffle Bear
£25
T79/4464
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FEATURE
Perfection Limited Edition Illuminator
£9.50
T22/7150
Faux Fur Pom-Pom Scarf
£15
Spa Collection Skin Comforting Body Butter
T01/8903
Luxuries for ladies £9.50
T20/2600L
Marc de Champagne Truffles
Crystal Stretch Bracelet
£19.50
T06/9029C
£4.99
Kirstie Allsopp Sewing Basket
Marcel Wanders Gold Glass Goblets
£19.50
£15
T40/5210G
T34/8778L
Autograph Sports Watch
£29.50
T09/2055A
Best buys for guys
North Coast Fair Isle Button Neck Jumper
£49.50
Heritage Wooden Radio
£15
T30/4409N
T40/6405G
Homme Eau de Toilette
Marcel Wanders Cufflinks
T20/0288A
T09/4916M
£15
£25
Jaguar Model
£ 35
YOUR M&S | 17
T40/4420G
16-17 Gifts M&S Iss29.indd 17
27/10/11 18:14:31
Misha Bryan
Janet Devlin
The Risk
The X Factor is at fever pitch – and M&S is part of the excitement with the finalists appearing in our Christmas ad and recording a song exclusively for us
E
xecutive Director, Marketing, Steve Sharp (pictured left) shares his excitement about our new ad and gives us the inside track…
Craig Colton
…on The X Factor
‘At this time of year, Saturday nights are all about nestling up to family and friends and enjoying time at home. We know our customers love The X Factor – it’s the programme everyone is talking about on Monday – so it makes sense for us to join forces. The
Sophie Habibis
excitement of The X Factor coupled with an M&S Dine In for Two for £10 deal: what more could you ask for?’
…on doing something different ‘Our Christmas TV campaigns have become almost legendary over the past few years. It’s always great to
Little Mix
18 | YOUR M&S
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2/11/11 21:05:56
feature
Kitty Brucknell
Marcus Collins
PLUS
Watch new adour at: http://b it.ly/tCf SJI
have a real surprise to unveil, which is why we went for something completely different this year.’
…on working with the finalists
‘The finalists seemed genuinely thrilled to be appearing in the M&S Christmas ad, which will be edited as finalists are
Frankie Cocozza
voted off the show. They’re all wearing fabulous M&S outfits in the ad and in the pictures shown here. Everyone got into the Christmas spirit during filming, helped along by lots of our mince pies.’
…on our exclusive song
‘Their version of When You Wish
Upon A Star is a festive classic that’s been given a contemporary twist – just like M&S this Christmas.’
…on who’s going to win!
‘I wish I knew who to put my money on. Having heard them all sing, I honestly couldn’t pick a winner.’
Johnny Robinson
YOUR M&S | 19
Turkeys, trimmings & treats
Our product developers have been working tirelessly all year to bring an exciting modern twist to the traditional dishes we all love to tuck into at Christmas…
Starters Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail Shots £4.99
Crispy Pork Crackling Straws with Tangy Apple Compôte £4.49
Terribly Clever Canapé Mix £1.99
This dish takes the traditional prawn cocktail and adds an intense Bloody Mary sauce with tomato juice, vodka and Worcester sauce to make something a bit more adult. It was lots of fun to develop! Sylvia Griffin, Product Developer Dairy
ibly Terr er Clev
Impressive canapés in moments… Combine the canapé paste with 90g of cream cheese. Add to toasted ciabatta slices and garnish. Choose from Parmesan & Herb; Fire Roasted Pepper & Chipotle Chilli; and Porcini Mushroom & Roasted Garlic.
Now our customers can create the perfect canapés in the busy festive period – they are so simple to make. Cassie Suddes Product Developer Grocery
20 | YOUR M&S
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We have seen a trend for crispy pork crackling in gastro pubs over the past year. We love the idea of using the compôte because traditionally pork and apple go so well together. Julia Bradley Product Developer Delicatessen
Suggested tipple
De Saint Gall Brut Rosé NV Champagne £28 ‘Not only does this look pretty, but rosé-based Champagne matches well with lots of seafood, particularly prawns.’ Jo Ahearne, Master of Wine
27/10/11 03:09:18
FEATURE
Suggested tipple
Tierra Y Hombre Pinot Noir 2010 £7.99 ‘A light Pinot is a good match for gammon and the sticky caramel glaze calls for one with good fruit sweetness – which is exactly what this fruity Chilean offers.’ Jo Ahearne, Master of Wine
Nigella suggests that you soak your turkey in a bucket of water, salt, spices and herbs – and we thought we could do this for our customers. The turkey has a lemon and orange juice brine and is stuffed with clementines and lemons. It comes in a roasting bag that locks in all the delicate flavours. It’s perfect topped with Douglas Fir Smoked Streaky Bacon. Claire Hodgson, Product Developer Meat & Poultry
Mains Ultimate Clementine & Lemon Turkey £8.99/kg
Salted Caramel Gammon £15.99/kg – £17.99/kg
Venison Cocktail Sausages wrapped in Douglas Fir Smoked Bacon £4.99
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Chestnuts £ 3.99
Venison has become popular as it is a healthier choice of red meat. And our customers wanted something special for their festive parties other than traditional pigs in blankets. Jemma Oliver-Yates Product Developer Meats
We were inspired by the success of our salted caramel sauce last year. The classic combination of sweet, salt and gammon gives the ultimate Christmas treat.
Turn th page to e our deli see cio desser us ts
Jemma Oliver-Yates Product Developer Meats
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Our Brie comes with pecans, pistachios, almonds and cashews to sprinkle on top, with a blossom of honey drizzle, to create a stunning cheeseboard.
At Christmas, customers love tradition but they also want something different and special. All you have to do is microwave and decorate to create a gorgeous centrepiece for Christmas Day. Add extra bling to this pudding by sprinkling the golden glitter over the top – as much or as little as you like! Ali Rodham Product Developer Cakes
Sylvia Griffin Product Developer Dairy
Desserts Perfectly Matured Golden Christmas Pudding with Glitter Sauce £16.99
Clementine and Cranberry Wreath Dessert £15
Selection of Cheeses From £2.49
Suggested tipple High Seas Christmas Cocktail
2 measures of M&S Gingerbread Rum £13.99 per bottle ● 1 measure of Angostura Golden Rum £16.99 per bottle ● 4 measures of Pineapple Chunks Soda £1.99 ● 2 dashes of lime juice ●
We wanted to create a contemporary dessert for customers to wow their guests, but using traditional festive flavours they would recognise. It’s a fabulous combination of ginger crumb, velvety clementine cream and a cranberry topping, decorated with a wreath of vanilla cream. Helen Brennan, Product Developer Dairy
Mix all these ingredients together and serve the fruity drink in a short tumbler with a spiral of lime peel. Enjoy!
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31/10/11 22:58:07
Flav o
s r u
o W r l d e h t of
FEATURE
We have scoured the regions of Spain to find the sweetest pimentón peppers and best Calasparra paella rice.
From Italy, we have sourced gorgeous olive oils, a world-class balsamic vinegar, delicious truffles and Arborio risotto rice.
We bring you the best French produce, from Dijon mustard to Le Saunier’s distinctive salt from the Camargue and jams and syrups packed with fruit.
They’re the brands that every well-travelled person makes a beeline for when jetting around the globe. Available for the first time at a major UK retailer, look out for the Flavours of the World range at more than 70 M&S stores across the UK. They’re exciting, authentic, artisan, regional specialities sourced from the best suppliers. And, best of all, the vast majority are priced £10 and under. We’ve explored Spain, Italy and France but more rare finds from America and Japan will be in store soon, so watch this space. YOUR M&S | 23
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Showcasing our innovations
Where better to display our cutting-edge, innovative products than at the M&S Christmas Press Show? The media were mesmerised and you will be, too, when we give you the lowdown on these pioneering products
I
nnovation is the name of the game at M&S. We strive to be the first to bring new and exciting products to market, as well as continually improving our existing products to make the best even better. We’ve researched, designed, created, developed, tinkered, tweaked, trialled and enhanced products across
Menswear, Womenswear, Kidswear, Home and Food. And here we’ve picked out some of the best ones that you’ll be seeing on shelves and in the media over the festive season. We have the most hassle-free turkey you could hope for, as well as edible cocktail sticks (what a fantastic idea!). Then there’s our first
machine-washable dinner suit and shapewear dresses with secret support, so you don’t need to worry about that extra mince pie. And what about the glow in the dark gift wrap that kids will love? The list goes on. Our buyers and product developers have chosen their favourites and tell us why they’re winners in the innovation stakes.
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FEATURE
Fashion forward: womenswear and menswear
Waist Sculpt™ Cincher
T32/6097 £19.50 ‘Red-carpet celebs such as Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame, Dita Von Teese and Scarlett Johansson championed the return of the hourglass silhouette. To help women to achieve the look, we developed our Only at Your M&S Waist Sculpt™ range. Using innovative bonding technology, each garment is designed to comfortably nip in the waist, create killer curves and ensure a smooth, no VPL silhouette.’ Soozie Jenkinson Head of Lingerie Design
Secret Support upport V-Neck Sleeveless Jacquard Dress
T42/1235 £69 ‘We’ve made a range of garments with control features already built in. The inner lining is made of nylon/elastane and has a high stretch, but strong control, so it’s comfortable to wear and holds you. We’ve created fabulous garments for Christmas, which will give customers confidence in their bodies and help them feel good whatever their shape or size.’ Deborah Sharpe, Fabric Development Technologist
Made to Measure M Dress Shirts
From £45 ‘The Made to Measure Shirt was introduced to offer our customers a choice similar to Savile Row for high street prices. You can choose your fabric and styling features to suit your taste. Our MTM shirts were voted the best as part of a Which? survey looking at made to measure shirts.’ Mark Yates, Head of Innovation & Quality Menswear
Machine Washable Dinner Suit
From £59 ‘Our machine-wash, tumble-dry suits were developed to take the hassle out of cleaning formalwear. As well as being environmentally friendly when compared with dry cleaning, the money saved means that in the lifetime of the suit it can pay for itself.’ Mark Yates, Head of Innovation & Quality Menswear
Ideas and inventions: kidswear and toys
Skeleton Gloves
T72/1505 £4 ‘These are a quirky little gift that kids will love. All you need to do is expose the gloves to sunlight and then they’ll glow in the dark for up to two hours. Then you can refresh them again by exposing them to more sunlight. They’re really fun and have a great price point – a great stocking filler.’ Nicole Higgins Buyer Kidswear Footwear & Accessories
Fabric Doll House
T79/9790 £25 ‘This dolls’ house has been designed in fabric to give children a soft role-play experience. The pattern on the dolls’ house will sit attractively in any child’s room. It’s easy to play with, soft and durable and can also be used with the fabric accessories you can buy separately, which match the look of the house.’ Francesca Overy-Brewer Buyer Toys & Books
Pink USB Clock
T40/1211G £9.50 ‘This clever clock connects four USB devices to your laptop or computer simultaneously. It’s easy to install and compatible with most USB devices, making it ideal for home or travel. Batteries are included and it is also available in blue. Best of all, it looks great on any desk and might even encourage the children to do their homework!’ Lorraine Gordon, Buyer Gifting
Hello Kitty Dressing Gown
T86/2621C £16-£20 ‘Fans of Hello Kitty will love this soft dressing gown featuring the popular character. It’s supersoft for added comfort and can be tumble-dried for added convenience. No wonder it’s been a bestseller for two years running!’ Natalie Hughes Buying Assistant Girls Nightwear
YOUR M&S | 25
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Daring delicacies: food
Perfectly Cooked Classic Turkey Crown with Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing
£32.99 ‘In research with customers last Christmas, we found one concern is over- or under-cooking the turkey. So we created a hasslefree turkey that doesn’t need preparation and cooks in 55 minutes. Inside is our classic stuffing and it’s sold in a roasting bag to lock in the succulence.’ Claire Hodgson, Product Developer Meat & Poultry
Beetroot and Balsamic Vinegar Scottish Lochmuir Smoked Salmon
£4.99 ‘Smoked salmon is an absolute favourite at Christmas and ours is dressed for the occasion! The deep purple of the beetroot cure is dramatic against the pinky salmon and it gives an earthy base flavour to cut through the oily, smoked notes. The balsamic brings the flavours together.’ Elaine Kessler, Product Developer Fish & Fish Deli
The Collection Shaped & Topped Christmas Cake
£16.99 ‘We have combined tradition with a real twist. We generated the idea by drawing lots of different shapes and trying them out in cake. We liked the idea of a spiral, from which the fruit could cascade. We have used glacé fruits and nuts as they are jewel-like. This all-butter fruit cake is very modern and is a perfect alternative to the classic iced Christmas cake.’ Ali Rodham Product Developer Cakes
British Honey and d Mustard Sausages on Edible Cocktail Sticks
£4.99 ‘The trend for edible cocktail sticks came from us thinking about how we could make party food 100% edible with no messy sticks – because it’s always difficult to eat when you are standing at a party. The crunchy salted pretzel sticks seemed like a great idea and go well with the honey mustard sticky sausages.’ Julia Bradley, M&S Product Developer Delicatessen
Latest launches: home North Pole Teapot T34/2508T £19.50; Dot and Stripe Espresso Set T34/1268E £15
Christmas Dinner Snow Globe
T21/8987D £19.50 ‘Snow globes are always popular with M&S customers and it’s lovely to be able to offer different functions each year. For the first time we have included a mechanism that creates a snow storm that swirls around the globe. The dining scene rotates and the globe plays We Wish you a Merry Christmas. It is powered via a wind-up mechanism so no batteries are required.’ Kelly Ison Category Manager
Glow in the Dark Gift Wrap
Sheet wrap T21/2467W £4.50 Large bag T21/4094B £3.50 ‘These have a snowflake design printed with a special ink that absorbs energy from natural or artificial light. When the lights are turned off, it will re-emit the light and glow in the dark! Our customers tell us they like to create magical, unexpected moments for their families at Christmas. This is perfect for an element of surprise and excitement.’ Mark Boyden Technical Manager
26 | YOUR M&S
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PEOPLE
Celebrating success T
Here we recognise the achievements of our Store Managers of the Quarter
hese are the proud winners of ‘Store Managers of the Quarter’ for Q2. All won both Store Manager of the Month and Regional Store Manager of the Month before being put forward for this prestigious award. Part of our Retail Celebrating
Success programme, all of the winners have achieved five green Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and have evidence of starting to deliver the journey to degree-level retailing. Here we name those dedicated employees who have scooped this accolade…
Andy Barber
Phil Rooney
Andy has demonstrated flexibility and personal sacrifice by moving away from his family to support the business. He has overseen a store development that has lasted more than 60 weeks at a cost of £30 million. During this time, the store has continued to trade above plan and the team has remained motivated. Throughout, Andy has demonstrated his ability to ‘spin many plates’.
Under Phil’s leadership, his store has seen sales growth at 3.2% for the year and 10.8% over two years. It has also had ten consecutive on-shelf availability audits at zero. Phil supported his No 2 Section Manager in a secondment to the Czech Republic to gain food technical knowledge, which led to him being put on M&S’s progression programme. He is also committed to coaching colleagues.
Store Manager, Simply Food, Hazel Grove, Stockport
Store Manager, Premier Major, High Street, Norwich
Shown real flexibility and has a fantastic set of KPIs
Sales growth of 3.2% for the year and 10.8% over two years
Gerry Ferrin
Diane Peers
Gerry moved from Deputy Store Manager to Store Manager in May and has made a real impact on the store’s performance. The store is up year-to-date 1.3% on plan and 4.3% up on last year. Store standards have gone from strength to strength. Gerry has also delivered consistently across all the KPIs with all five at Achieve or Exceed. He engages the team with his energy and enthusiasm.
Diane not only reached the sales forecast, but smashed it, while scoring five green KPIs as outstanding. With sales 5.2% up on plan and 8% up on last year, this is a major achievement. What’s more, the service score is 95%; the trading safely and legally score is 100%; costs are 1% under plan; and absence is under 2%. Diane is a role model and an inspiration to the colleagues in her team.
Store Manager, Junction One Outlet, Ballymena, Northern Ireland
Store Manager Newtownbreda, Ireland
Standards in store have gone from strength to strength
Pete Swallow
Q2 Head of Region, Simply Food, North West Region
Successfully driven the 100 Day Coaching initiative
Pete is consistently at the top end of the Risk Ranking and finished in the top four for Q2. The region has successfully led the waste trial, which influenced the implementation of Customer Ready Food. In the summer riots, Manchester Piccadilly Simply Food store was damaged but ready to trade the next day. In particular, Pete has driven the 100 Day Coaching initiative, which has been adopted across the division.
Smashed the sales forecast and is a role model to her team
We have lots of great Store Managers across the country, so congratulations to all of our regional winners: David Bruce
Rose Baldwin
Craig Rendall
Christine Hargreaves
Simon Newman
Jon Cameron
Deborah Warner
Anthony Burns
Matt Isom
Eleanor Whittle
Caroline Beresford
Andy Tomlinson
Sarah Whittingham
Mandy Hartley
Chad Sonara
Rona Hulbert
Adam Pursey
Neil Brown
Isabel Meyer
Carl Harrison
Viv Stewart
Adam Jones Alex Clarke Elaine Courland Sarah Bailey Robin Sheath Simon Caffrey
Claire Faulkner
YOUR M&S | 27
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GIVING THANKS STAR R LETTE
Q
The M&S Dine in for Two for £10 offer is a great success in our store. It would boost sales further if M&S introduced a Dine in for Two gift card, which customers could buy to say ‘thank you’ to family or friends. This would be a
We love receiving letters from you, so please keep them coming to the addresses on p2. Here, Annabel Lee-Frost of Corporate Communications responds to your ideas and questions
convenient way to provide a set meal that requires minimum preparation. Brenda Deedie Cheltenham High Street store Thank you for such a smart suggestion. The Gift Card team is passionate about listening to our colleagues and customers and they love it when employees come forward with suggestions. This is such a great idea, so they
will be putting it forward in the next research session. A few systems will need to be looked at, to avoid any customer confusion if the card is designed for one particular area but can be spent across the whole of the store – but watch this space as you may well see a Dine in for Two Gift Card in the future!
Q
My grandson recently started school and my daughter
is already finding it difficult to think of food for his lunchbox that is healthy and provides variety. I thought it would be a good idea for M&S to sell kids’ lunchtime snacks in packaging similar to 5 a Day. In one section there could be a ham or cheese finger sandwich or soft cheese with either carrot batons or breadsticks. In another, a few savoury snacks. Sliced apple, grapes and raisins
28 | YOUR M&S
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PEOPLE
section with a sweet biscuit. This would look colourful and appealing and cover most children’s tastes, including vegetarians, and be healthy. In this day and age when many parents are working, I think it would be an absolute godsend and a fantastic seller for M&S. Angela Advani RAC Co-ordinator, Swindon Thanks for your great suggestion, which is very much in line with our desire to help all our customers enjoy a healthy balanced diet. It can be challenging for parents to create lunchboxes every day that are interesting, healthy and with foods their children enjoy. This is one of the reasons why we have launched the pick-and-mix lunch box selection in our cafés, where children can choose from a selection of sandwiches, drinks, prepared fruit and a sweet treat for lunch. We also have a dedicated Healthy Eating for Kids section on our health website (www. marksandspencer.com/health) which is full of lunchbox suggestions, and even has a five-day lunchbox menu planner. We’re frequently reviewing our range of products available to our customers, so thank you for your valuable feedback.
Q
The majority of cut flowers we sell in our stores are gifts. On many occasions the customer asks us to remove the price label. We find it difficult to remove them because of the position of the label, especially on the beautiful orchids. Even when the labels are removed, they leave a residue and, in some cases, a half-torn label, which is not very
appealing. In some cases the customers have asked us to replace the bouquet. We are sure other stores are having the same problem. Would it be possible to design a label that is easier and quicker to remove? Raminder Manu Simply Food, Guiseley Thank you – the Flowers and Plants team were really interested in your comments as they always welcome feedback on our products and packaging and are continually looking for areas to improve. As the number one destination on the High Street for flowers and plants gifting, we focus much of our time in ensuring that all the packaging, including the labels, are suitable to be given away as gifts. We have taken on board your comment and will be reviewing the current adhesive used on all labels, making sure they are strong enough to stay on, but still able to peel off without leaving a residue.
Q
In order to reduce damaged items and encourage re-use, why don’t we have structured plastic wine bottle carriers in stores? I find the cardboard ones fall apart after only a few uses. These could be sold in the Food Hall and designed to fold down for storage, but it would be something that would potentially last years rather than weeks! Katherine Easton Retail Customer Services That’s an interesting suggestion. From a Plan A point of view, the cardboard wine carriers (which we have been using for around 25 years)
can be re-used a number of times, and then when they do need replacing the great thing is that they can be recycled. We did try selling re-usable wine carriers in the 1990s, but we found they take up more storage space and are relatively more expensive – they would also need to be re-used an awful lot of times to have a positive environmental impact (although who needs another excuse to buy more fantastic M&S wine)!
Q
I am a Wine Hero at the Exeter store. My usual opening greeting to customers is to point out the ‘10% off three bottles’ offer, which went down very well, and a great number of customers took advantage of the offer. However, the current offer is ‘25% off six bottles’, which is an even better deal, but in some ways less attractive. A large number of customers decline because they have come by bus, they are on holiday, or the car is parked a long way away and they can’t face driving through the town to use the ‘collect by car’ facility. My customers, although grateful, are not taking advantage in anywhere near the same numbers as with the previous offer. Could we run both offers concurrently so our customers get the best of both worlds, and we sell more wine? This would be especially beneficial in city centre stores where store access and parking are at a premium. John Kay, Exeter I’m delighted to see you are actively selling our award-winning wine range so confidently. You raise
a great point about selling six bottles in city centre stores and other M&S locations where car parking is difficult. The good news is we are now running tests on the new Beanstore system, which will allow us to run more than one multi-buy simultaneously. This could allow us to run both three-bottle and larger six or 12-bottle discounts at the same time, benefiting both city centre stores and those with car parks where customers like to purchase by the case. It’s important to complete testing first as we need to ensure the new system is stable, but we hope to run a regional trial before Christmas and then roll it out nationwide. I hope you enjoyed the recent Wine Hero engagement and tasting day. Best of luck with Beers Wines and Spirits sales this Christmas!
we offer! 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 concerning people in your store or office. Send your letters to the addresses on p2 of this magazine. *Letters may be edited for publication.
Y R M&S | 29 YOUR
28-29 Your Q&A V3 M&S Iss29.ind 29
2/11/11 21:09:50
Frohe W l ë o N eih x u na e y o
eller Maligayan No g P tlu ●
ational s n r e nt
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●
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Shortbread is the No 1 choice for our Greek M&S customers.
llers se
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After Dinner Mints • Operetta • Shortbread • Milk, Dark and White Chocolate Biscuit Selection • Chocolate Brazils
Feliz Navidad
M u
No matter where you are across the globe, it seems that everyone loves Christmas the M&S way
Top 5
Christmas treats
●
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A world of cheer
(46 stores y ) e
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●
packets of coins and n nd packs of Operettas have been ordered across the world. packs of O Operetta have been ordered d by our international partners across the world.
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60,000
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114,000 packets 114,000 of coins and 60,000
p
Chocolate Coins & Operetta
(8 stores) e r o
Mince pies
In the run-up to Christmas 2010, customers bought more than 1,000 packets of mince pies EVERY WEEK! This year, orders have been doubled d to cope with predicted demand.
30 | YOUR M&S
30-31 M&S World V2 M&S Iss29.indd 30
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WOERLD S UR M&AT FE
prus (11 st y C 100,000
Most surprising bestseller
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Swiss Neapolitans • Twist Wrap Truffles • Belgian Biscuit Collection • Rosada Cava • Chocolate Coins & Notes
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30%
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of our business in The Philippines is at Christmas time.
18
Our mid-winter top sellers are M&S classics: men and women’s black V-neck jumpers – 9,000 have been ordered.
Top 5
Christmas treats
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items of knitwear are sold annually, despite there only being one month of cold weather per year.
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To kick off our new series of features on our global business, we take a sneak peek at what our customers from around the world like to buy from M&S at Christmas time. With more than 350 stores worldwide, more and more people are discovering us every day.
Milk chocolate digestives tives are the No 1 choice for our customers in The Philippines.
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food hampers were sold in Thailand last Chris Christmas, as well as 14,000 beauty hampers. This year, we are estimating a 20% increase in increas sales. sales
YOUR M&S | 31
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YOUR BREAK Sit back, relax and play these games
Wordsearch E N O I Z E L L O C R G T A
B C K L C H G T H L Q N E M
G Q G T B R W T P K J I R H
A R Y A B K Y I V V R H R P
P K I A E A I V J I L T I Z
U A S F R G H N U F G R B G
A Q U C S P A M D I B U L C
R N H T V A H T P I Y O Y Q
C Z U N O C L L I N G Y C T
E S J R O G A G A R G O L R
A U E L E N R R U O E D E Y
J Z A O A P N A X O M H V H
A L U M R O F H P T D Y E K
Q N K F C I I B E H F H R U
Can you find all of these M&S-related words and phrases hidden in the wordsearch grid? ● Autograph ● per
una
● Terribly
Clever
● Lochmuir ● Indigo ● Plan
A
● Douglas
fir
● Collezione ● Heritage ● Formula ● Conran ● Do
your thing
Enjoy
Sudoku 1
4 8 1 2 2 5 7 4 5 1 8 5 9 2 9 8 8 2 4
Why not try this simple Sudoku for a quick lunchtime brain workout? Good luck.
4 7 9 1 8 6 3 2 1 7 1 5 2 4 HOW TO PLAY Fill in the grid so that the numbers 1 to 9, inclusive, are in every row, every column and every 3x3 box.
PRIZE DRAW Win a Gourmet Christmas hamper The Gourmet Christmas Hamper from M&S, worth £250, could soon be sitting on your dining table. Packed full of the most delicious treats from M&S, including chocolates, Stilton cheese, oak-smoked Don’t miss salmon, a Christmas your chance to pudding, Champagne enter our fabulously and fine wines, these luxurious treats are all festive prize draw. To delivered in a stunning enter, email us with your leather storage box.
Terms & Conditions Entries must be received by 23:59 on 2 December 2011. 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 5 December 2011 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 7 December 2011 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 entrant 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 Head 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.
32 OBC V4 M&S Iss29.indd 32
name, store or office details, to the email address on p2, by 2 December 2011.
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