For retail to come out of yet another fiscal crisis with a semblance of relevance to the cash strapped consumer re-invention (not iteration) and logical brand/product extension has to be the agile order of the day.
John Lewis has at last decided to ditch the nonsensical brand promise of 'Never Undersold' in order to try and morph into something fit for 21st Century retailing, but those big ticket household sales will continue to seem extremely elusive.
I believe they (JLP) missed out on one huge opportunity to regain relevance and encourage footfall - an idea that surfaced in good old 'M&S' and one they have maintained a laser like focus with.
Marks and Spencers beleaguered fashion and homeware woes continue, however the food category is seeing some amazing reinvention along with a strong consumer focus on the family.
The 'Never the same again' transformation strategy is indeed underway and the smart money is on them to maintain the 'family focus' innovation that started with the inclusion of 'The Early Learning Centre' product offer online back in 2020.
Marks & Spencer has teamed up with toy retailer Early Learning Centre, which will see its products being sold on the M&S website as it seeks to build online appeal. M&S will offer 200 lines from Early Learning Centre, the toy brand owned by The Entertainer.
However, having now taken this initiative one step further it seems they continue to outpace the transformation thinking (or not) from the leadership team at 'John Lewis'.
With 65% of sales of nursery items completed in store**, the partnership will welcome Mamas & Papas’ ‘shop-in-shops’ format, enabling M&S customers to touch and feel the products before purchase. source Marks and Spencer Corporate
Launching as a store trial in three regions across the UK, the ‘shop-in-shops’ come complete with their own till points along with dedicated Mamas & Papas expert colleagues who will provide tailored, independent advice and recommendations to parents-to-be and their families.
The team will also be offering in-store services such as one-to-one personal shopping appointments and car seat consultations and fittings.
ELC is the story telling groundwork that every parent would turn to in order to get advice, assistance, and products to help inspire and educate the offspring.
Had 'Mothercare' leveraged this key asset via social media instead of simply focusing on the 'transactional' retail experience then I'm pretty sure some of that decline would have either been stemmed, or even helped to grow as part of its brand repositioning.
Do you agree?
The baby and childrenswear market is now worth £6 billion and is expected to continue to grow by 4.1% in the next five years**. The trusted-quality products that M&S is known for, is complemented and enhanced by a carefully curated selection of third-party brands. The partnership with Mamas & Papas follows the success of Early Learning Centre, FAO Schwarz, Clarks, Hype and Smiggle which have joined the M&S Family through ‘Brands at M&S’.
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