AUSTRALIA | Marks & Spencer has expanded its global reach, partnering with Coles, to bring the magic of M&S Food to customers down under.
The M&S and Coles Food partnership followed the launch of M&S’s first fashion wholesale partnership with David Jones department store in Australia earlier this year.
The ambition for M&S is to build a global omnichannel business, utilising the expertise and infrastructure of strategic franchise partners in established markets, working with leading marketplaces to drive online growth and securing new opportunities in wholesale.
This is the first time M&S Food products have been sold in store in Australia and builds on the success of the Food wholesale partnership with Target in the US, where the retailer now sells over 50,000 individual bags of Percy Pigs a week.
“We’re excited to join forces with Marks & Spencer to bring their quality food range to Australia, allowing millions of Aussies to savour the very best of British right here at home. This partnership is all about delivering quality, innovation, and trusted value - values we share with M&S,” said Anna Croft, Chief Commercial Officer at Coles.
“Launching in Coles supermarkets across Australia just in time for the festive season, our range of M&S Food favourites will give customers even more reasons to choose Coles for their holiday shopping, with delicious treats perfect for gifting, sharing and celebrating.”
With brand awareness of M&S over half of the Australian population, following M&S’s Food launch in the US and Fashion launch in Australia, the M&S social media channels were bombarded with comments from customers asking when M&S Food- including the iconic Percy Pig - would be available in Australia.
Coles stores across Australia are now home to M&S Food products, with an extended range available to customers shopping online through Coles’ state-of-the-art Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs) in Melbourne and Sydney.
The range will include iconic staples, including Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar confectionery, Scottish Shortbread, and Luxury Gold Tea, as well as limited-edition seasonal ranges, including the viral sensation - Original Very Moreish Munch Tin - which is set to sell over a million tins in the UK in the lead up to Christmas.
“With consistent growth in Food in the UK business and strong brand momentum as the UK’s most trusted retailer there is now so much opportunity for us to grow our business globally,” said Mark Lemming, Managing Director of International at M&S.
“Wholesale is a relatively new channel for us, but one that provides lots of opportunity to scale, sell and serve our Food business to even more customers around the world. Having taken our first steps in Australia earlier this year in Fashion, we’re delighted to partner with one of Australia’s leading supermarkets, Coles - a partner that shares our values of quality food at a trusted value. When we get the partnership right, everyone wins.”
From next year, the product range will expand to over 200 products, to offer even more supermarket staples from the beloved British retailer. The partnership is born out of a shared set of values surrounding quality, innovation and trust.
With Coles welcoming millions of customers each week across its store network and digital platforms in Australia, and holding close to a third of the market share in Food, the partnership will support M&S as it continues to expand its global reach through bigger, bolder and better partnerships.
