M&S plans to introduce beauty brands at stores

London: Marks & Spencer is to make a fresh foray into branded goods when it begins stocking a selection of beauty products. The move is expected to be announced with the group's annual results.

M&S would not comment, but the high street stalwart is understood to be planning to introduce a range of third-party beauty brands into selected stores.

It is thought that all of the brands would be exclusive to M&S. Among them is Nuxe, the French natural beauty and skincare range.

The move would emulate that in food, where chief executive Marc Bolland introduced a selection of exclusive international food brands under the ‘Only at Your M&S' banner.

However, the venture into third-party beauty brands would be in contrast to other moves by Bolland, who has significantly scaled down M&S' branded lines.

Scaling down brands

Bolland has ditched branded electricals and cut the number of branded food lines — introduced in a move that broke with 85 years of tradition by his predecessor Sir Stuart Rose — from 400 to 100.

M&S, which already stocks its own label beauty products, is a small performer in this market, but wants to take a greater share. It is thought to be keen to sell more beauty products to its lingerie customers.

Bolland indicated when he unveiled his strategic plan in November 2010 that beauty was an area that could hold more potential for the high street retailer.

Value food range

The move comes as M&S launched a new value food selection to compete with Waitrose's value range, ratcheting up the competition in the middle to upmarket food market.

The new range, called ‘Simply M&S', includes 800 lines from fresh meat to groceries. M&S said it brought together its lowest-priced food, adding to its previous ‘Wise Buys'. It is designed to encourage M&S' occasional shoppers to do more of their weekly grocery shop with the store.

The new range will compete with Waitrose's successful Essential range, which has grown to £1 billion (Dh5.9 billion) of annual sales since it was launched in March 2009, on a par with Tesco's Finest range.

It also comes just a week after Waitrose stepped up pressure in the middle to upmarket food sector.

— Financial Times