What's inside?
This seasonal best practice report showcases Christmas retail execution at M&S in 2018, analysing both successes and key challenges.
- Review of M&S’s approach to Christmas merchandising, assessing overall execution and key operational challenges.
- Analysis of operational challenges, including availability issues, markdown timing and space management concerns.
- Insights into secondary space utilisation, stock planning and execution gaps in key seasonal categories.
- Assessment of signage effectiveness, promotional execution and customer experience impacts.
- Highest quality imagery, captured by Steve Dresser, offering market-leading intelligence into UK seasonal execution from a customer perspective.
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"Steve is one of the best retail operators I’ve ever come across. He operates in a level of detail beyond most people in the Retail business. He’s a truly customer centric leader, magnificent at process and challenges the status quo.. He’s a true force to be reckoned with and continues to be a good support to M&S and to me as CEO. "
“I found Steve’s observations to be of great benefit when driving change, wanting evidence-based perspective to drive improvements and remind our internal teams of the ‘reality’ that customers can face in store.”
“His knowledge, ideas and suggestions, backed up with detailed reports, were shared in a meaningful, practical way that assisted us to improve our store operations for the benefit of our members, whilst also improving ways of working for colleagues.”
“Your integrity and honesty was deeply appreciated by me and the entire Tesco team.”
Steve's eye for detail is exceptional. His deep understanding of the market - what's happening now and, more importantly, what’s about to happen - is second to none - and it's always backed up by deep and rich analysis."
What you'll get
M&S is a leading retailer during Christmas, known for premium festive foods, gifting and strong in-store merchandising. However, the 2018 season revealed several operational challenges, including availability issues, markdown inefficiencies and inconsistent space management.
This report highlights key insights from the Christmas 2018 retail season at M&S, assessing the execution of seasonal promotions, product placement and markdown timing. While floral, party food and premium gifting were well-executed, space management, stock availability and markdown strategies presented significant challenges.
How did M&S approach Christmas in 2018?
M&S implemented premium festive gifting, strong visual merchandising and impactful signage, but availability issues, markdown delays and inconsistent secondary space usage impacted execution. The report captures both best practices and areas for improvement, providing a balanced analysis of how M&S navigated the Christmas trading period and what lessons can be learned for future execution.
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“His knowledge, ideas and suggestions, backed up with detailed reports, were shared in a meaningful, practical way that assisted us to improve our store operations for the benefit of our members, whilst also improving ways of working for colleagues.”
Mark Cox, CEO, The Channel Islands Co-op
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About the report
Report Type: Seasonal Event
Seasonal Events: Christmas
Retailers: M&S
Contents
Pages: 326
What you get with a Grocery Insight report
Insights, observations analysis and expert perspectives on what’s happening in retail.
High quality blur-free photos showing you what customers see in store.
Exclusive retail insights only available through our reports store
Expert perspectives and recommendations to drive sales.
Time and cost savings, by us visiting stores and collating findings on your behalf.
Inspiration, ideas and actionable next steps towards retail greatness.
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