M&S overtakes Waitrose in battle for middle-class shoppers to gain 4% of supermarket market
Sparkle: Marks & Spencer hopes its Christmas advertising campaign will help boost sales
Marks & Spencer has given Waitrose an edge in the battle for middle-class shoppers.
Figures from the Telegraph show the sector held 4 per cent of the food market in the four weeks to November 3, compared to 3.9 per cent for its rival.
It’s the first time outside the Christmas period that M&S has been ahead of Waitrose – and the latest sign that the retailer is getting its shine back.
M&S’s turnaround plan is gathering pace under boss Stuart Machin, who previously led the food division.
The share of the supermarket market has increased compared to 3.76 percent in the same period a year earlier.
However, Waitrose, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, saw its share fall from just over 4 percent last year.
After investing in larger food halls and launching new products, M&S is benefiting from more of central England doing their weekly shopping, rather than seeing shopping there as a ‘treat’.
The success of the revival has prompted M&S to expand the number of new store openings, with 70 new stores by 2028, including 50 standalone food stores.
The country is also struggling with John Lewis’ department store operations due to its clothing and home sales.
M&S is making a fashion comeback, with American-British actress Sienna Miller becoming the face of its clothing line, adding glamor and transforming its once shoddy reputation.
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