5 Nov 2009 --- Marks & Spencer has announced that it is to sell a selected range of around 400 branded grocery & household products in all of its UK stores, following a successful 16 month trial in its stores in the North East and South East of England.

The range of ambient products will be rolled out to M&S stores over the next year, starting this month with additional stores in the trial areas, and expanding into other regions from January 2010.

Each M&S store will offer an edited selection of the range chosen according to its size, starting from around 50 products in smaller stores up to the full range of around 400 products in M&S’ largest stores. Pricing is key – all of the branded products have been price matched against the major supermarkets.

The branded products have been specifically chosen with customer convenience in mind and to complement M&S’ existing high quality, own-label products. No M&S products will be de-listed or replaced.

The offer will focus on brand-dominated categories where M&S would typically have a low market share such as soft drinks, confectionery, beer, laundry, personal care, and pet food; or on filling gaps where M&S has no own brand equivalent.

Sir Stuart Rose, M&S Chairman said: “Our trials have shown us that an edited selection of branded grocery and household products has a place at Marks & Spencer. Our customers are at the heart of this decision – they lead increasingly busy lives so buying those essential, must-have branded products at M&S will help save them time. It will be so much more for convenient for our customers to get what they need from M&S rather than having to go elsewhere.

”John Dixon, Executive Director of Food, said: “My team and I are focused on delivering the best that M&S Food can offer – innovative products that provide unbeatable quality and great value. But there are some products that we could simply never compete with, like Marmite and Kit Kat, and other areas where, whilst we have a great M&S equivalent, the leading brand dominates the market. Adding the nation’s favourite brands to our mix offers our customers more choice and strengthens our position as the UK’s leading quality food retailer.

”The range of branded grocery products available at M&S will include Coca-Cola, Marmite, Kelloggs and Heinz. Household products will include Fairy, Pantene and Persil.