M&S Food goes down under through partnership with Coles
Marks & Spencer is to begin selling its food in store in Australia through a partnership with the Coles supermarket chain.
The move follows the launch of M&S’ first fashion wholesale partnership with the David Jones department store in the country earlier this year.
M&S is currently working to build a global omnichannel business by using the expertise and infrastructure of strategic franchise partners in established markets. This includes working with leading online marketplaces to drive digital growth and securing new opportunities in wholesale.
The retailer already operates a successful food wholesale partnership with Target in the US, where it now sells more than 50,000 individual bags of Percy Pigs every week.
Subscribe to TRBFrom 19 November, M&S Food products will be available in Coles stores across Australia, with a wider range offered online through Coles’ customer fulfilment centres in Melbourne and Sydney.
Items will include customer favourites such as Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar confectionery, Scottish Shortbread, and Luxury Gold Tea. There will also be limited-edition seasonal products, including the Original Very Moreish Munch Tin, which is expected to sell over one million units in the UK in the run-up to Christmas.
From next year, the range will be expanded to over 200 products.
Mark Lemming, managing director of international at M&S, said: “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.
“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.”
Anna Croft, chief commercial officer at Coles, said: “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.”
