Dive Brief:
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British retailer Marks & Spencer is bringing a M&S Fashion collection to U.S. brick and mortar for the first time, via Nordstrom. More than 51,000 people shop on Marks & Spencer’s U.S. website annually.
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As of Sunday the U.S. department store is selling more than 60 M&S women’s apparel items in 30 stores and online, including the U.K. retailer’s Per Una and M&S Collection lines.
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The move comes after a successful partnership with Target, launched in 2022, to sell M&S Food, according to an emailed press release.
Dive Insight:
Nordstrom is banking that U.S. fashionistas will gravitate toward Marks & Spencer’s value proposition — high-quality products at a good price, according to a statement from Emily Crandall, the U.S. department store’s executive vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s and men’s apparel.
The retailer can’t rely on the reputation that M&S has cultivated at home, because the U.K. retailer isn’t all that well known here. Women in the U.S. aged 25 to 34 are most aware of the Marks & Spencer brand, which overall is known to just 13% of U.S. consumers. The idea is to expand that awareness here and elsewhere, according to a statement from Mark Lemming, M&S managing director of international.
“With strong brand momentum as the U.K.’s most trusted retailer and now leading in style, quality and value perceptions in our womenswear range, now is the time to build our brand awareness in the U.S. fashion market and establish ourselves as a globally trusted brand,” he said. “We’re delighted to partner with Nordstrom, a partner who shares our values and will support us as we accelerate our growth.”
It’s a sound strategy that could generate incremental revenue and comes after years of investment into apparel that has become known for style and quality, according to GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders. But it’s true that — while M&S is an iconic brand that Britons have much affection for — it’s only vaguely known here. The merchandising therefore must resonate with Nordstrom customers, Saunders said.
“What matters is how the product shows up in Nordstrom, as consumers will assess the range on its merits,” he said.
Nordstrom is a good fit for the brand thanks to its “middle-class, slightly more mature consumer that is interested in fashion,” much like its customers back home, Saunders said. It’s a tie-up that resembles the recent partnership between M&S Australian department store David Jones.
That was M&S’s first wholesale arrangement, and it’s about to expand this month, from its curated selection of lingerie to womenswear and menswear.
“M&S also knows that Nordstrom will put a lot of care into looking after its brands in terms of how they’re merchandised and presented,” Saunders said. “Nordstrom is also mid-sized, so the entry will not require huge volumes and M&S can easily adjust ranges from season to season as it learns what works.”
