M&S Sales Up as Food Business Recovers

In Food, sharper values, better availability and product innovation have delivered better like for like performance for the fourth consecutive quarter, the company reported.

30 Sep 2009 --- UK retailer Marks & Spencer has said that total UK sales were up 1.9% in Q2, continuing the improving trend seen over the last three quarters.

Clothing sales were up 2.7%, with market share level on the year. In Food, sharper values, better availability and product innovation have delivered better like for like performance for the fourth consecutive quarter, the company reported. M&S extended its successful Cook 1234 concept to Indian food and re-launched the M&S Cook range and Confectionery shop.

International sales were up 9.6% and M&S Direct had another strong quarter with online sales up 30%.

Sir Stuart Rose, Chairman said: “We are pleased to report continuing improvement in our performance. This demonstrates that the actions we are taking are working.

“Whilst there is more visibility in the marketplace and consumers appear more confident, we continue to be cautious about the outlook. We expect 2010 to be a tough year and we will continue to run the business accordingly.

”As we approach our key Christmas trading period, we are recruiting an additional 20,000 seasonal employees to help us deliver a great Christmas to our customers.”