M&S boosted by record number of Christmas shoppers
M&S has said a record number of customers shopped with its business in the run-up to Christmas.
In the 13 weeks to 27 December, food underlying sales increased by 6.6%, while like-for-like sales rose by 5.6%. The retailer said the performance was driven by strong operational execution and the successful sell-through of key Christmas hero lines. This helped deliver higher sales, lower markdowns and reduced waste compared with the previous year.
Sales growth was also boosted by strength in core grocery categories as the retailer invested in innovation and quality upgrades. Value ranges, including ‘Remarksable Value’ and ‘Bigger Pack, Better Value’, grew by 20% as M&S continued to expand the available range.
Meanwhile, sales across fashion, home and beauty declined by 2.5%, with like-for-like sales down 2.9%, as growth in online sales was outweighed by weaker store performance. M&S said the decline reflected lower high street footfall and the long tail impact of its earlier cyber attack on stock data and inventory management.
Subscribe to TRBCommenting on the performance, Stuart Machin, M&S chief executive, said: “A record number of customers shopped M&S this Christmas. From the festive food shop, to picking up party outfits and gifts, millions more trusted M&S to deliver the family Christmas.
“Food sales were strong and the business continues to outperform, hitting a new market share milestone in the period. We are the UK’s fastest growing grocer for families, reflecting our investment in value and core family staples, and demonstrating progress in our journey to become a shopping list retailer.
“Fashion, home and beauty is getting back on track as we work through the tail end of recovery. Sales overall were slightly down but online performance continued to improve as digital sales recovered. We planned a bigger Sale this year, with strong sell-through already making way for our new season lines.”
Looking ahead, he added: “We enter this new calendar year full of ambition and laser focused on our plan to reshape M&S for further growth. In food, we have even more first to market innovation coming and further investment in quality and price. And in fashion, our new season ranges are resonating well with customers as we double down on value, quality and style.
“I’d like to thank our customers for shopping with us, our colleagues for all their hard work, and wish everyone a happy and healthy 2026. We are looking forward with confidence.”
