A third of households now buy food from M&S as the turnaround continues to accelerate

A third of households now buy their groceries from Marks & Spencer as the turnaround continues to accelerate.

In a vote of confidence for boss Stuart Machin, research group NIQ said 33 per cent of households shopped at M&S ​​for food and drink in the 12 weeks to October 5.

M&S now has the same market share as competitor Waitrose.

A year ago, Marks was responsible for 3.4 percent of grocery spending, while Waitrose accounted for 3.8 percent.

Both are now at 3.7 percent, according to NIQ. This is another sign that Machin’s strategy is paying off after investing in larger food halls and launching new products.

It benefits from more customers doing their weekly shopping with them, rather than being seen as a seller of treats.

Some 800,000 customers have been lured through the doors in the past four weeks as retailers prepare for their peak trading time before Christmas.