Marks & Spencer is increasing its stocks of smaller sizes in womenswear after a surge in demand left gaps on shelves.
Stuart Machin, the chief executive of the high street stalwart, said that three years ago about a fifth (21%) of the items sold from its main seasonal collection were size six to 10 and that had now risen to 35% as its “fashion and style ranges [were] resonating with a different customer group”.
Even outside those more fashionable ranges, sales of smaller sizes now represent about 23% of the mix, a rise from about 20% three years ago.
Answering a complaint from a shopper at the retailer’s annual general meeting – that there were not enough smaller sizes in stock – Machin said on Tuesday that he had personally looked at the orders on smaller sizes to ensure there were more and “if we sell out in autumn/winter we’ll be doing very well”.
The demand for smaller sizes reflects the increasing popularity of M&S, once mainly worn by those well over 50, with shoppers in their 20s, 30s and 40s who on average tend to be slimmer.
A spokesperson for M&S, which stocks women’s clothing from size six to 24, said: “We’re not moving away from larger sizes, it’s more about getting better at responding to demand and making sure we have the right size mix and availability for all of our customers – which is something we haven’t always got right.”
In May, Machin said more under-30s were buying M&S’s lingerie than ever before, helping take its market share in that product category to a new high of 38%.
That broader appeal has help the revitalised retailer win more than 1 million extra shoppers and boost profits by 41% in the year to 30 March.
The retailer has tried to improve its fashion credentials and reach a new generation of shoppers by using social media, including training its own staff as influencers. It has also enlisted younger names than it has traditionally used in advertising campaigns, such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Zawe Ashton.
Tie-ups with celebrities such as Sienna Miller, the 42-year-old actor known for her style, have also…
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