Marks & Spencer - Christmas

YOURM&S

Christmasangels Twins Zara and Ziennafrom our M&S family bringdouble the magic to ourfestive photo shoot

ISSUE 29 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011

YOUR JOB YOUR MAGAZINE

PLUSwin agourmethamperworth £250

01 Cover V3 M&S Iss29.indd 101 Cover V3 M&S Iss29.indd 1 31/10/11 22:53:4731/10/11 22:53:47

2 | YOUR M&S

YOUR M&S

IN PICTURES

Anna Brewer from ourEastbourne store enjoysbeing pampered for ourfestive photo shoot – andso do her adorable twins!See p12-15

It’s food, glorious food as weexplore all the delicious dishes forthis festive season. See p20-22

One of our twin cover stars,Zara, enjoys a tasty M&Schocolate treat. See p12-15

Find outabout theinternationalbrands we’rebringing youexclusively.See p23

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Internal Communications – extn 183283Internal email: Internal CommunicationsExternal email: [email protected]: Internal Communications,Marks & Spencer, Mailbox 8.17,Waterside House, 35 North Wharf Road,London W2 1NW

This magazine is printed on 50%recycled paper. Please do the right thing

by passing it on to someone else orrecycling it after you have read it.

Our Christmas Press Show waspacked full of innovative productsthat the media and our customersare sure to love. See p24-26

02-03 Contents V3 M&S Iss29.indd 202-03 Contents V3 M&S Iss29.indd 2 2/11/11 20:47:562/11/11 20:47:56

YOUR M&S | 3

WELCOME

It’s that exciting time of year again – whenstores are brimming with festive fashionand fabulous foodie treats and there’s acertain magic in the air shared by big andlittle kids alike.

We have a packed Christmas issue for you,which showcases how unique M&S really is.From amazing gifts and very special Christmasfood, to exclusive international brands and thespirit of innovation that underpins everythingwe do... all this is ‘Only at Your M&S’.

We also have incredible employees who arecommitted to delivering the best service to allour customers, like Anna Brewer, who stars inour festive photo shoot on p12 with her family.

We also hear about Margaret King and herbattle with adversity, on p8, and two staffmembers who are life-savers – quite literally –on p5. Plus, check out our award-winningStore Managers of the Quarter on p27.

Finally, have a wonderful festive season.As our new ad featuring The X Factor finalistssays...May all your Christmas dreams come true.

FROM OUR EDITOR

CLARE GOULTY

Clare GoultyEditor

contentsOUR M&S

4 YOUR NEWS ROUND-UPRead a festive message from Marc Bolland,p4; Meet our life-saving employees, p5;and discover how you’re helping charities

FEATURES

12 OUR FESTIVE STARSChristmas comes early for Anna Brewerand her family at our festive photo shoot

16 YOUR GIFTS... IT’S A WRAPWe give you the lowdown on all the verybest presents for the family... ‘Only at Your M&S’

18 MAY ALL YOUR CHRISTMASDREAMS COME TRUEMeet The X Factor finalists who star inour brand new Christmas ad campaign

20 TURKEYS, TRIMMINGS & TREATSA modern twist on all the traditionalChristmas food you and our customers adore

23 FLAVOURS OF THE WORLDYour introduction to the international foodbrands that launched exclusively at M&S

24 SHOWCASING OUR INNOVATIONSWe unveiled all of our most exciting productsto the press... and here’s the inside track

PEOPLE

27 CELEBRATING SUCCESSMeet the Store Managers who have beenrecognised for their amazing achievements

28 YOUR LETTERSWe answer all of your burning questions

30 A WORLD OF CHEERA snapshot of M&S around the worldand how we make Christmas special

32 YOUR BREAK…Take some time out to do our brain teasersand win a gourmet Christmas hamper

As always, ouremployees showedtheir generous andimaginative sides inraising money forcharities, includingBreakthroughBreast Cancer.See p10

Our Lifesize Emily Button is justone of the amazing gifts we havein stores now. See p16-17

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4 | YOUR M&S4 | YOUR M&S

Thank you foryour hard work Wake up and

smell the coffeeThe M&S Barista of the Year 2011championship was held in Septemberand Luke Evans from our Worthingstore scooped the coveted title

The heat was on – quite literally – in the eighth annual M&SBarista of the Year championship. There were more than300 entries from M&S baristas across the UK and Ireland

and, after pressure-filled in-store assessments over the summermonths, a shortlist of 11 finalists was drawn up.

At the hotly contested championship in London, the finalistswere required to produce four perfect espressos and four perfectlattes. Bonus points were awarded for latte art – in which theymade a pattern on the coffee using only the milk and a great dealof skill. The test didn’t end there either. Each finalist was asked todevise a speciality coffee-based drink using only M&S ingredients.The imaginative flavours for the iced, blended and hot drinksincluded cherry, caramel, hazelnut and cinnamon.

The judging panel included last year’s winner, Alex Passmorefrom our Exeter store, and M&S Café Operations Manager,David Condliffe. Jason Danciger, Head of Hospitality andIn Store Food Production, presented the awards.

Third place went to Sean Linden from Dundrum, while AmyJackson from Cheshunt was named runner-up. But it wasLuke Evans who triumphed. He was presented with the DavidWilliamson trophy, which is his for one year, and £250 of M&Svouchers. Hewill also havethe opportunityto visit theMatthew Algieroastery inGlasgow toroast his owncoffee. Welldone to Luke!

I n the run-upto Christmas,I wanted to take

the opportunityto thank you foryour hard workthroughout the yearand for your bestefforts over theall-importantpeak period.

As you know,it is our mostdemandingand potentiallyrewarding time, soit is important thatwe all pull togetherto support each

other. I’m looking forward to working in stores duringDecember and being part of a real team effort.

More than ever, we need to listen to our customersand they are always telling us it is the small thingsthat make the biggest difference. So whether it isa smile at the till, or helping them find that extraspecial product or gift, we can all help make theirvisit to M&S a happy one.

We’ve got some fantastic, innovative products whichwill help M&S shine on the High Street this Christmas.Thank you in advance for your hard work and good luckto you and your teams over the coming weeks.

Best wishes,

Marc Bolland, CEO

Best baristas: our finalists proudly wave their certificates

OUR M&S

t wishes,

Bolland, CEO

Triumphant: Winner Luke Evans (left)with Jason Danciger and Alex Passmore

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OUR M&S

Alison Swinburne and Jacqueline Donaldsonfrom our Newcastle store jumped into actionwhen a customer suddenly stopped breathing

When Café Refresh Adviser Alison Swinburne and FoodsService & Tilling Adviser Jacqueline Donaldson went to workat our Newcastle store on a pleasant day in August, little did

they know they would end up performing potentially life-saving first aid.When a female customer suddenly stopped breathing, Alison

(on the left in our picture, right) and Jacqueline (far right) performedCPR while waiting for an ambulance crew to arrive. Fortunately, thecustomer (centre in our picture) went on to recover and was sograteful she returned to thank Alison and Jacqueline.

The North East Ambulance Service commended Alison and Jacquelinein a letter: ‘Without doubt, the initial actions of your staff, plus the assistancethey gave to our crews, contributed to the overall outcome of the incident.All the staff the crew came into contact with acted in a calm and professionalmanner, allowing them to carry out their duties smoothly and effectively.’

F rom dressing up in crocodile costumesto sitting in baths full of coffee, therewere lots of inspiring fundraising ideas

for the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, held

on 30 September. All money raised by M&Semployees and customers will help fund theMacmillan Support Line: 0808 808 0 000.Thank you to everyone for the support.

M&S and Macmillanare full of beans ‘I can’t really put intowords what this means,but I want to thankNewlife andM&S forgivingmemy legs intime for college!’

A lexander Jordan, 16, whohas a progressive muscledegenerative condition,showed hisgratitude afterreceiving a£20,000 poweredwheelchair. Thiswas a result ofM&S clothingreturns beingdonated tochildren’sdisabilitycharity NewlifeFoundation,which recyclesand sells them. Itwas the first anniversary of the M&Sgrants partnership with the charity inSeptember and £182,108-worth ofdisability equipment has been givento 62 children so far. For details,see www.newlifecharity.co.uk.

With all your hard work and support we haveraised more than £100,000 from pin badgesand recipe book sales alone, with a lot more stillto come from your fundraising. Over the two yearstogether, M&S has raised almost £1 millionfor Macmillan Cancer Support and wecould not have done this without you!

Joanne Lawson, M&S Buyer Hospitality

With all yo

Our employees arelife-savers... literally

YOUR M&S | 5


Read M&S StoriesWe’ve launched a new social website so our customers – and employees –

can find out more from the insiders at their favourite brand. M&S Storiesfeatures the latest launches, innovations and recipes from our food and

drink teams, as well as fashion trends, tips and previews fromour buyers and designers. As if all this wasn’t enough,there’s advice from our interiors experts and updates onour Plan A commitment to becoming the world’s most

sustainable major retailer by 2015. Thereare also behind-the-scenesvideos from photo shoots andintroductions to dedicated andpassionate employees like you.

Elaine Moulds had the chance tomeet Twiggy at a recent M&Sphoto shoot. Elaine, who hasworked at M&S for 35 years, said:‘Meeting Twiggy was a greatexperience. I had my hair andmake-up done by experts andTwiggy was great – she mademe feel very relaxed.’

Elaine says the highlight ofher career at M&S has beenwatching the businessgrow and change – andbeing part of it. ‘I’ve builtgreat relationships withcolleagues and it reallyis the people who makethe business so special.’

Store ManagerElaine Mouldsfrom DerbyWestfieldgets asurprise…

Elaine meetsTwiggy

CHECK OUTwww.marksandspencer.com/stories

6 | YOUR M&S

Elaine Moulds had the chance tomeet Twiggy at a recent M&Sphoto shoot. Elaine, who hasworked at M&S for 35 years, said:‘Meeting Twiggy was a greatexperience. I had my hair andmake-up done by experts andTwiggy was great – she mademe feel very relaxed.’

Elaine says the highlight ofher career at M&S has beenwatching the businessgrow and change – andbeing part of it. ‘I’ve builtgreat relationships withcolleagues and it reallyis the people who makethe business so special.’

Store ManagerElaine Mouldsrom DerbyWestfieldgets asurprise…


YOUR M&S | 7YOUR M&S | 7

Food for thought

Protecting your precious presents

Our ordering service is extended and expanded

T PPERFECTION GOLD

NAIL POLISHThis shade can see youthrough the festiveseason. It’s perfectfor adding that festivesparkle day or night.

PERFECTIONSUPER GLOSS

LIPSTICKRed Carpet Hollywood

Glamour wouldn’t becomplete without theclassic glossy red lip.

I love the evencoverage and long-

lasting vibrant colour,giving me smoother,

fuller lips.

PERFECTION GOLD/BRONZE EYE SHADOWThis duo is perfect forcreating a glamorouseye. The goldopens the eyewhilst the bronzewill define. Blendfor a seamless,shimmery finish. Perfectfor contouring the eyes.

Our Buying Assistant namesher top beauty products. Aspart of a buy-1-get-1-half-price offer until ChristmasEve, they’re great value...

Julie McLeod’s

What are the M&S productsyou couldn’t live without?

OUR M&S

We have expanded our Food to Orderrange and made more than 130 dininglines from our Food Hall available toorder online for collection in your localstore, regardless of how big or small thestore. These include Beef Bourguignonfrom the Bistro range, Wild AlaskanSalmon Fillets, as well as our GlutenFree and Super Soya products.

Prior to this, only the Food to OrderEntertaining range – designed forparties and special occasions –was available to order online.

It’s now much easier for customersto order all our Food to Order products.They can order online from home atwww.marksandspencer.com, or shopon the move via mobile web atwww.marksandspencer.com/foodtoorder. Customers can alsoorder by phone – 0845 604 4 604 –or in participating stores at the FoodInformation Desk.

The customer can then collect theirfeast from their local store on the dateand at the time they’ve requested.

So, you’ve spent hours picking out the perfect Christmas presents for the entirefamily, but are you aware of how to keep these gifts safe and insured?

Some Christmas shoppers aren’t, according to a study by YouGov. Itshowed that on average respondents would be likely toleave up to £175-worth of Christmas shopping in theboot of their cars – and 30% don’t know if this isinsured. In fact, shopping left in the car boot isn’tcovered on all motoring policies.

It’s also worth considering how you keeppresents out of the hands of little explorers insidethe home! The research found the mostcommon place in which to hide Christmaspresents was in the wardrobe, followed by underthe bed. Other more inventive hiding places werein suitcases, at work and in caravans!

Keep your home and presents safe...• Contact your insurer tomake sure any expensivegifts are covered.

• Keep receipts and photosof gifts to assist in claims.

• Be careful about storing

presents in sheds –your policy may notcover it.

• Don’t leave packagingoutside your house asit may invite thieves.

• If you’re going awayfor Christmas, ensureyour home is secure,ask neighbours to bewatchful and set timerswitches for lights.


8 | YOUR M&S

Jump startThe Marks & Start programme helped Margaret Kingcope with tragedy – and she’s now a loyal employee

T hrough our Marks & Start programmewe help hundreds of people each yearwho are disabled, homeless, young

and unemployed or lone parents to gain theconfidence they need to get back to work.We recently held the Plan A VolunteerAwards 2011 (see enclosed Supplement)and one of the categories was Best Marks& Start Achiever – to recognise peoplewho have become loyal employees.

One of the winners was MargaretKing, who was widowed at the ageof 22 and left to care for her youngdaughter. Through the Marks & Startprogramme, Margaret transformed herlife and colleagues have enjoyedwatching her confidence develop.

Margaret’s Mystery Shop results arealways perfect and she is now on handto act as a buddy for other Marks & Startplacement individuals.

As well as this recognition, Margaret wona place along with 10 other M&S Plan AVolunteer award winners as an Olympic torchbearer. She said: ‘I’m over the moon with theaward. It’s good to be thought of so highlyand to be in the spotlight for a night!’

This is just one success story from theMarks & Start programme at the ForgeOutlet store. They currently have 11 Marks& Start employees and are due to take onanother four – and these individuals aresure to start making positive differencesin their lives, just like Margaret.

W ith a focus on British designs, British fabrics andBritish classic tailoring, autumn saw the launch ofour new Menswear Heritage Collection – think

chunky cable knitwear, vintage-inspired jumpers, duffel coats,check shirts, blazers, brogues, Harris tweed jackets and flatcaps. Not only were they inspired by British tradition, manyof the jackets and scarves were made with British fabricsfrom UK mills. The new range of British Heritage knitwearis available in 130 stores and online. Our capsule HeritageCollection is in 12 stores and online.

Best of BritishT03/6692i £69.50

Get a letter from Santa!

…and support the NSPCC at

the same time

M&S Money is supportingthe NSPCC’s Christmas

campaign for the first time, by encouraging customers

and employees to order a Letter fromSanta for a

suggesteddonation of £5 to the NSPCC.

The charity benefits from much-neede

d funds

and the nominated child gets a lovely personalised

letter fromSanta – so everyone is a winner! See

www.nspcc.org.uk/chr

istmas-m&s or call 0845 839 9 304

for more details and to order yourletter for a

child today.

T09/0538T £139



In the bagOUR M&S

What are your initial impressions ofM&S and the international team?I feel very welcome and am delighted to jointhe team. I find them very committed to theinternational project and enthusiastic whenapproaching new ideas. I feel like I’ve beenhere a long time already!

What makes M&S such an excitingcompany to work for?Firstly, its history – M&S has been a relevantcompany for more than a century. Secondly,M&S has great brand awareness around theworld and enormous potential in internationalmarkets. I feel privileged to have joined.

How do you intend to spend your firstyear in the job?So far, I’ve been in the business for six monthsand I’ve visited 17 markets. Being a trulyinternational retailer means I need to investtime to understand the intricacies of eachcountry that we trade in or want to trade in.

Which aspects of the role are youmost excited about?To be honest, all of them.

What’s your favourite M&S Christmasfood item?I love our Milk, Dark and White ChocolateBiscuits, and not just at Christmas!

Finally, have you chosen any M&S giftsfor your loved ones this Christmas?I always buy my Christmas presents atthe last minute but I’ve already spottedsome interesting products from per unaspeziale and Autograph, and there aresome great gift ideas from Conran andMarcel Wanders.

INTERVIEWSECOND:60Director of International,Jan Heere, on excitingoverseas plans and hisfavourite M&S foods…

What’s the pictureinWales?Wales became the first UK countryto introduce a compulsory chargefor single-use carrier bags lastmonth after the Welsh Assemblypassed new legislation. This meanswe will be charging 5p for small,medium and large carrier bags ingeneral merchandising, as well asfor small mini-vest carriers and thethree horticulture bags in Food.We’re already ahead of the gameby charging 5p for the food-vestcarriers and cake carriers.

Here are the vital statistics of howwe’re reducing the number of carrierbags used across the UK

£5.2million raised for

environmental charityGroundwork through thecarrier bag charge andprofits now go to our

Forever Fish campaign.

80%reduction in carrierbags in our Food

business across theUK since 2006.

Jumper T30/6010 £59Coat T16/6002 £179

5pcharge on carrierbags, introducedfour years ago, is

acknowledged as theprincipal reason for

the reduction in bags.

94million single use carrier

bags used inour Food business

in 2010/11,compared with…

464million single-use carrier

bags used inour Food business

in 2006/07.

T16/3101B £199


10 | YOUR M&S

Getting ourjust desserts

M&S has expanded its dessertsoffering with new sweet treats

We launched our new dessert brand, called DessertMenu, in September and it features lots of delicious

puddings that will make any dining table lookspectacular. Our product developers travelled the globeto discover the best ingredients and designs. Here are

some of the highlights of the new Dessert Menu offering:

Blood Orange & Champagne Panna Cotta Crush £ 3.79DivineWhite Chocolate & Lime Dessert £ 3.79

Kir Royale Snow Globes £ 3.79Mini Macaroons £4.99 (pictured below)

Providing

Look out for the festivered packaging on theM&S Food on the

Move range. And letcustomers know that bypurchasing from this rangethey’ll be helping those inneed – through housing andhomelessness charity Shelter.Also visit the new website atwww.shelterelf.org.uk, whereyou can invite friends for anM&S Food on the Movelunch. They choose whatto eat and you just collect itand pay at your local store.

5pfrom every purchase ofthe M&S Christmas Foodon the Move lunch range,in festive red packaging,

will go to Shelterthis Christmas.

11,000people in desperatehousing need will besupported through theShelter helpline as aresult of this M&S

partnership.

£4.5mhas been raised

for Shelter over thepast six years byM&S customers.

When you go online you can choose from even more productsthan you’ll find in our stores and, as an M&S employee, youcan save 20% online all year round. Everyone receives a uniqueonline code when they join the company and, once you’veentered it for your first purchase, the discount is applied to allfuture purchases automatically. If you don’t know your onlinediscount code, call HR Shared Services on x74 74 74 74internally or 0345 30 4 74 74. Getting set up is quick and easy– and means you can make the most of your discount whenyou shop online!

FOO/P5/914588

NEW

For the very first time, we have beentaking misshapen and rejected Douglasfir Christmas trees and putting them

to good use. They have been chipped andused to smoke products that include streakybacon, lardons and smoked salmon to givea subtle festive flavour. This is in line withour Plan A commitment to become themost sustainable major retailer and itdemonstrates how we’re innovating.

th fi t ti h b

Fir play

Breast Cancer Awareness Monthin October was a great success andwe hope to have raised £750,000

Think pink!

Your discount

T hroughout October, we sold a selection of pink womenswear, lingerie,home, accessories, flowers and food products, all of which carried a10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Pink ribbons and key

rings were also sold at till points in our stores. Meanwhile, employees cameup with their own novel fundraising ideas, including one group from ourStafford store who organised a coast-to-coast cycle ride.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer said they were humbled and amazed by thepassion, dedication and imagination of store employees. It is hoped the M&Sactivities throughout the month will raise £750,000. We’ll keep you posted!

d itg.



✆

Here we follow Andy Conway, Regional Security Manager, forthe day and get the inside track on combating crime at M&S…

We’re fortunate that most ofour colleagues are loyal andhard-working. ‘Yet, there is a

small minority who aren’t,’ says RegionalSecurity Manager, Andy Conway(pictured). ‘And it is these people whohave a negative impact on the business,and everyone within it.’ Internal crimepeaks at Christmas, so we need to worktogether to protect our stores and ourprofits – and to make our workplace safer.

We are not alone in suffering frominternal crime. A recent survey by theBritish Retail Consortium found thatcrime costs the retail industry more than£1.1bn annually. This is why we’reinvesting heavily in resources andtechnology to combat the problem.

Andy has worked for M&S for 11 years.His role involves supporting 44 stores inhis region (Simply Food Regions NorthLondon and London City; and PremierMajor High Street Home Counties North).‘I give advice on internal crime, externalcrime and procedural errors, which arethe three key areas through which we losemoney. We provide information on the best

course of action for stores to take and weget involved in the investigations too.’

Andy explains there are around 500security officers working across thenetwork of stores, as well as a nationalresource of store detectives – who leaveno stone unturned in their quest to stampout theft: ‘We take security very seriouslyat M&S and invest heavily in this area.

‘We undertake reviews of stores andfocus resources and investment on theones with the highest rates of crime andshrinkage in order to get results.’ Wehave seen significant improvements inthe shrinkage results of these focusstores. In some, our losses for GMhave dropped by as much as 35%from April to September 2011. Andthese are the tools we are using...

SECUREThis is our most powerful tool to detectinternal crime, in particular cash loss. Thissystem monitors all till transactions andcan identify dishonest, unusual, irregular,fraudulent activity, including sales andloading of gift cards.

Crime busterse-Learning toolThe new e-Learning DVD covers fittingrooms, searches and EAS (see below).This is in addition to the current moduleson till losses, general stock loss and foodstock loss. Every employee should haveaccess to this e-Learning DVD, so pleaserefresh your memory by watching it again.

Remote CCTVWe’re using our CCTV systems even moreproactively by allowing RSMs and securitystaff to dial in remotely at any time. Theycan check employees are safe and secure,as well as ensuring company policies areadhered to, including cash managementand unlocking and locking the building. Itmeans centralised, streamlined, cost-effective monitoring of CCTV 24/7.

Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)We introduced merchandise taggingseveral years ago and it remains part ofour strategy. This is making a real impact– with £2.9m in savings so far.

While these systems can help, you areour greatest asset in combating internalcrime. ‘If you see something suspicious, orneed advice, call our Think Again helpline.This is a problem for everyone, not just oursecurity teams,’ concludes Clint Reid,Head of Corporate Security & Fraud.

Make a difference to M&SReport anything suspicious to your line manager, or by calling theconfidential Think Again helpline on UK 0800 015 0 281, ROI 1800 411 063.

We’ve invested hugesums of money to makea safe and secureshopping environment forcolleagues and customers

OUR M&S


12 | YOUR M&S

Our festive starsChristmas came early for our per una CustomerAssistant Anna Brewer and her family when theywere chosen to star in our cover photo shoot

12-15 Cover Story V3 M&S Iss29.indd 1212-15 Cover Story V3 M&S Iss29.indd 12 31/10/11 22:49:5631/10/11 22:49:56

FEATURE

YOUR M&S | 13

Zara and ZiennaOur gorgeous twin modelsare only four but they provedto be true professionals onthe day. Mum Anna said:‘The girls are normallyquite shy but this brought

them out of their shells.They behaved so welland seeing their faceswhen they were dressed

up in such beautifulclothes was wonderful.On the train home, thegirls were telling the other

passengers about theirday and they couldn’t stoptalking about the tutus, hairbands and jewellery. Theyloved the dolls, too. Definitelyon the Christmas list!’

Meet our striking Christmascover stars: Anna, Jamesand their girls Zara and

Zienna. The family, from Eastbournein East Sussex, were delighted tobe picked to appear in our coverand fashion photo shoots.

This year, we decided to whisk ourmodels off to a glamorous locationhouse so we could not only showcasesome of our new Autograph and M&SWoman clothing collections but thestunning new homeware range, too.

A family affairAnna has worked for M&S for morethan two years: ‘As a family we havelots of connections to M&S inEastbourne. James’s mum works onthe Food Desk and my Nan and Auntyused to work there, too. So I’vealways known what a great companyit is to work for and when I started asa Christmas temp, I really hoped Iwould get a permanent job. I work

▲

The girls loved thepyjamas. I’m going tobuy them a pair eachAnna

Anna wears: Pyjamas T37/3297 £12; T37/3296 £12. James wears:North Coast Top T28/1719N £18; Fleece Joggers T28/1611B £25; SocksT10/9499 £8. Zara and Zienna wear: Pyjamas T86/4473A £11-£13.

Reindeer CushionT47/3419 £19.50;Dolls T79/8401B andT79/8401A £8 each;Chocolates £0.99;Tree Decorations£2.50-£5


14 | YOUR M&S

part-time and my hours are perfectfor fitting around the children.

‘Working at M&S has so many otherbenefits. The discounts are great forbuying clothes for the girls, whichreally helped with buying their schooluniforms this year.’

Why Christmas is special to usAnna explains: ‘James works away alot of the time at sea, but he’s alwayshome at Christmas, so that makes itspecial as we are together as a family.This year is going to be very special asJames’s sister has moved back fromAustralia, and this will be the first timewe’ve all shared Christmas with her.’

▲

Having my hair and make-updone made me feelso special and my favouritefashion item was theAutograph suede courtshoes. I love high heels!

Tasty treats‘We always treatourselves to M&Sfood for Christmas,and this year we arealso looking forwardto the amazingChristmas cakeand bottle of winewe got to sampleat the photo shoot.We’ll be stockingup on both!’

Anna wears: M&S Woman Red Dress T42/1233£39.50; Shoes T02/2678 £49; Necklace T00/0082 £19.50.James wears: Autograph Trousers T15/0716A £94; AutographShirt T25/3832A £35; Tie T12/7436 £7; Shoes T03/1461A £65.


YOUR M&S | 15

FEATURE

YY R MR MR MR MR M&SSSSSS |||||| 15151515155155Annn aaa wa wa waaaa eaeears: M&MMMMMMM&MMMMM S WS Womaom n Goldo DrD esssssssssss T42/1/2/11// 23723723723723723 £4£4££4£4£449.59.59.59.559 50.0.0.0.0.0 JamJaJamJamJamamJJ esesesee weaweaweawears:s:rs:: AuAuAuAutogtogtogtograpraprapraph Sh Sh Sh Shirhirhhirhhhh tttShirhhh tT1111/0/00808008/0 121212BB £35;55555;55;55555 NavNavvavy Chinhhinososo T17TT1 /63/6332B3332B332B33332B33 £2£2£2£29.59.59.5.59.9.9 0;0;0;00;0;0; ShShoShoShoShoShShoesesese T03T03T03T033/14/14/14/14//1494A94A94A94A £4£4£4£49.59.59.59 50;0;0;0 BelBelBeBe t Tt Tt Tt T09/09/09/09/263263263636326335B5B5B5B/2633335B£19191 .55050555 . Zarara (a ((((a (a ((((((aaaboabooabaaa vevevev left))t) weaweears:sr SpSpppSpppSppotoototoo FloFloFloFlooFlolowerwerwerwerwerwerwer DrDrDrDrDrDrD essessessessessesss T7T7T7T7TTTT 7/67/67/67/666986986986986 X £X £X £X £X 28-28-28-28-£30£30£30£30.. ZieZieZieZiennannnnanna (a(a(a(abovbovbovbovvvvveeeeabovvvvvverigrigrighttt)t)htt)ht wwew arsarsrrss:::::::::::: VelVeVele vetetveet DrDressesse T7T7T777/67/67/6699699699999999999X £X £X £X £28-28-8-8-28-8-2 30.30.30.30.30330.30 BotBotBotBotBotBo h wh wh wh wwh earearearearee ::: ShShShSShSSSSS oesoesoeso T7T7T7T72/62/62/62/6453453453453 £8£8£8£8-1-10-10.


16 | YOUR M&SYOUR M&S

Cotton Rich Dino Pyjamas£12-16T86/3236D

Percy Pig Lunchbox£10

Faux FurTrimPom-Pom Slippers

£10-12T72/5111B

MarcelWandersKnuffle Bear

£25T79/4464

LifesizeEmily Button£ 75

T79/9468

MarcelWandersChalkboardPercy Pig£10

T81/5079

Your gifts...it’s a wrap

Whether it’s make-up for mums, fragrances for friends,or clothing for children, we’ve got plenty of presentideas that all our customers, including you, will love...

Big presents forlittle monkeys

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FEATURE

YOUR M&S | 17

MarcelWandersGold Glass Goblets

£15T34/8778L

Spa Collection SkinComforting Body Butter

£9.50T20/2600L

KirstieAllsoppSewing Basket£19.50T40/5210G

AutographSportsWatch£29.50T09/2055A

Homme Eau deToilette£15

T20/0288A

Crystal StretchBracelet£19.50T06/9029C

Marc de ChampagneTruffles£4.99

HeritageWooden Radio£15

T40/6405G

MarcelWanders Cufflinks£25

T09/4916M JaguarModel£ 35

T40/4420G

North Coast Fair IsleButton Neck Jumper

£49.50T30/4409N

Faux FurPom-Pom Scarf

£15T01/8903

Perfection LimitedEdition Illuminator

£9.50T22/7150

Luxuriesfor ladies

Best buysfor guys

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18 | YOUR M&S

The X Factor is at fever pitch – and M&S is part of the excitement with thefinalists appearing in our Christmas ad and recording a song exclusively for us

ExecutiveDirector,Marketing,

Steve Sharp(pictured left) shareshis excitement aboutour new ad and gives

us the inside track…

…on The X Factor‘At this time of year, Saturday nightsare all about nestling up to family andfriends and enjoying time at home.We know our customers love The XFactor – it’s the programme everyoneis talking about on Monday – so itmakes sense for us to join forces. The

excitement of The X Factor coupledwith an M&S Dine In for Two for £10deal: what more could you ask for?’

…on doing something different‘Our Christmas TV campaigns havebecome almost legendary over thepast few years. It’s always great to

Misha BryanJanet Devlin The Risk

Little MixSophie HabibisCraig Colton

18-19 Xmas Ad 10 Finalists M&S Iss29.indd 1818-19 Xmas Ad 10 Finalists M&S Iss29.indd 18 2/11/11 21:05:562/11/11 21:05:56

YOUR M&S | 19

featURe

have a real surprise to unveil, which is why we went for something completely different this year.’

…on working with the finalists‘the finalists seemed genuinely thrilled to be appearing in the M&S Christmas ad, which will be edited as finalists are

voted off the show. they’re all wearing fabulous M&S outfits in the ad and in the pictures shown here. everyone got into the Christmas spirit during filming, helped along by lots of our mince pies.’

…on our exclusive song‘their version of When You Wish

Upon A Star is a festive classic that’s been given a contemporary twist – just like M&S this Christmas.’

…on who’s going to win!‘I wish I knew who to put my money on. Having heard them all sing, I honestly couldn’t pick a winner.’

PLUSWatch our new ad at:

Johnny Robinson

Marcus CollinsKitty Brucknell

Frankie Cocozza

http://bit.ly/tCfSJI

20 | YOUR M&S

Turkeys, trimmings& treats

Our product developers have been working tirelesslyall year to bring an exciting modern twist to the traditionaldishes we all love to tuck into at Christmas…

This dish takes the traditional prawn cocktail andadds an intense Bloody Mary sauce with tomatojuice, vodka and Worcester sauce to make somethinga bit more adult. It was lots of fun to develop!

Sylvia Griffin, Product Developer Dairy

We have seen a trend for crispypork crackling in gastro pubsover the past year. We love theidea of using the compôtebecause traditionally pork andapple go so well together.

Julia BradleyProduct Developer Delicatessen

Now our customers can createthe perfect canapés in the busyfestive period – they are sosimple to make.

Cassie SuddesProduct Developer Grocery

This dish takes the traditional prawn cocktail andadds an intense Bloody Mary sauce with tomatojuice, vodka and Worcester sauce to make somethinga bit more adult. It was lots of fun to develop!

Sylvia Griffin, Product Developer Dairy

Impressivecanapés in

moments…Combine the

canapé pastewith 90g ofcream cheese.Add to toastedciabatta slicesand garnish.Choose fromParmesan &Herb; FireRoasted Pepper& Chipotle Chilli;and PorciniMushroom &Roasted Garlic.

Terribly

Clever

Suggested tippleDe Saint Gall Brut RoséNV Champagne £28‘Not only does this look pretty,but rosé-based Champagnematches well with lots of seafood,particularly prawns.’Jo Ahearne, Master of Wine

StartersBloodyMary

Prawn Cocktail Shots£4.99

Crispy Pork Crackling StrawswithTangyApple Compôte

£4.49

Terribly CleverCanapéMix

£1.99

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FEATURE

MainsUltimate Clementine& LemonTurkey

£8.99/kg

Salted Caramel Gammon£15.99/kg – £17.99/kg

Venison Cocktail Sausages wrappedin Douglas Fir Smoked Bacon

£4.99

Brussels Sprouts withPancetta and Chestnuts

£ 3.99

Nigella suggests that you soak your turkey in a bucketof water, salt, spices and herbs – and we thought wecould do this for our customers. The turkey has alemon and orange juice brine and is stuffed withclementines and lemons. It comes in a roasting bagthat locks in all the delicate flavours. It’s perfecttopped with Douglas Fir Smoked Streaky Bacon.

Claire Hodgson, Product Developer Meat & Poultry

Suggested tippleTierra Y Hombre Pinot Noir 2010 £7.99‘A light Pinot is a good match for gammonand the sticky caramel glaze calls for onewith good fruit sweetness – which isexactly what this fruity Chilean offers.’Jo Ahearne, Master of Wine

Turn thepage to seeour deliciousdesserts

We were inspired by the success of oursalted caramel sauce last year. The classiccombination of sweet, salt and gammongives the ultimate Christmas treat.

Jemma Oliver-YatesProduct Developer Meats

Venison has become popular as it isa healthier choice of red meat. Andour customers wanted somethingspecial for their festive parties otherthan traditional pigs in blankets.

Jemma Oliver-YatesProduct Developer Meats

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22 | YOUR M&S

Our Brie comes with pecans,pistachios, almonds andcashews to sprinkle ontop, with a blossom ofhoney drizzle, to createa stunning cheeseboard.

Sylvia GriffinProduct Developer Dairy

DessertsPerfectly Matured GoldenChristmas Puddingwith Glitter Sauce

£16.99

Clementine and CranberryWreath Dessert

£15

Selection of CheesesFrom £2.49

We wanted to create a contemporarydessert for customers to wow their guests,but using traditional festive flavoursthey would recognise. It’s a fabulouscombination of ginger crumb, velvetyclementine cream and a cranberry topping,decorated with a wreath of vanilla cream.

Helen Brennan, Product Developer Dairy

At Christmas, customers love traditionbut they also want something differentand special. All you have to do ismicrowave and decorate to create agorgeous centrepiece for ChristmasDay. Add extra bling to this pudding bysprinkling the golden glitter over thetop – as much or as little as you like!

Ali RodhamProduct Developer Cakes

Suggested tippleHigh SeasChristmas Cocktail

● 2 measures of M&SGingerbread Rum£13.99 per bottle

●1 measure ofAngostura GoldenRum £16.99 per bottle

●4 measures ofPineapple ChunksSoda £1.99

●2 dashes of lime juice

Mix all these ingredientstogether and serve thefruity drink in a shorttumbler with a spiral oflime peel. Enjoy!

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FEATURE

YOUR M&S | 23

They’re the brands that every well-travelled person makes a beeline for when jettingaround the globe. Available for the first time at a major UK retailer, look out for the

Flavours of the World range at more than 70 M&S stores across the UK. They’re exciting,authentic, artisan, regional specialities sourced from the best suppliers. And, best of all,the vast majority are priced £10 and under. We’ve explored Spain, Italy and France but

more rare finds from America and Japan will be in store soon, so watch this space.

Flavo

ursof th

e World

We have scouredthe regions of Spainto find the sweetestpimentón peppers

and best Calasparrapaella rice.

From Italy, wehave sourced

gorgeous olive oils,a world-class balsamic

vinegar, delicioustruffles and Arborio

risotto rice.

We bring youthe best French

produce, from Dijonmustard to Le Saunier’sdistinctive salt from the

Camargue and jamsand syrups packed

with fruit.

23 International Products M&S Iss29.indd 2323 International Products M&S Iss29.indd 23 27/10/11 03:19:3327/10/11 03:19:33

24 | YOUR M&S

Showcasingour

innovations

Where better to display our cutting-edge, innovative products than at theM&S Christmas Press Show? The media were mesmerised and you willbe, too, when we give you the lowdown on these pioneering products

Innovation is the name of the gameat M&S. We strive to be the firstto bring new and exciting products

to market, as well as continuallyimproving our existing productsto make the best even better.

We’ve researched, designed,created, developed, tinkered, tweaked,trialled and enhanced products across

Menswear, Womenswear, Kidswear,Home and Food. And here we’vepicked out some of the best ones thatyou’ll be seeing on shelves and in themedia over the festive season.

We have the most hassle-freeturkey you could hope for, as wellas edible cocktail sticks (what afantastic idea!). Then there’s our first

machine-washable dinner suit andshapewear dresses with secret support,so you don’t need to worry about thatextra mince pie. And what about theglow in the dark gift wrap that kids willlove? The list goes on. Our buyers andproduct developers have chosen theirfavourites and tell us why they’rewinners in the innovation stakes.

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YOUR M&S | 25

FEATURE

Fashion forward: womenswear and menswear

Ideas and inventions: kidswear and toys

Waist Sculpt™ CincherT32/6097 £19.50‘Red-carpet celebs such asChristina Hendricks of Mad Menfame, Dita Von Teese and ScarlettJohansson championed the returnof the hourglass silhouette. Tohelp women to achieve the look,we developed our Only at YourM&S Waist Sculpt™ range. Usinginnovative bonding technology,each garment is designed tocomfortably nip in the waist,create killer curves and ensurea smooth, no VPL silhouette.’Soozie JenkinsonHead of Lingerie Design

Skeleton GlovesT72/1505 £4‘These are a quirky little gift thatkids will love. All you need to dois expose the gloves to sunlightand then they’ll glow in the darkfor up to two hours. Then you canrefresh them again by exposingthem to more sunlight. They’rereally fun and have a great pricepoint – a great stocking filler.’Nicole HigginsBuyer Kidswear Footwear &Accessories

Secret SupportV-Neck SleevelessJacquard DressT42/1235 £69‘We’ve made a range of garmentswith control features already builtin. The inner lining is made ofnylon/elastane and has a highstretch, but strong control, so it’scomfortable to wear and holdsyou. We’ve created fabulousgarments for Christmas, which willgive customers confidence in theirbodies and help them feel goodwhatever their shape or size.’Deborah Sharpe, FabricDevelopment Technologist

Fabric Doll HouseT79/9790 £25‘This dolls’ house has beendesigned in fabric to give childrena soft role-play experience. Thepattern on the dolls’ house willsit attractively in any child’s room.It’s easy to play with, soft anddurable and can also be usedwith the fabric accessoriesyou can buy separately, whichmatch the look of the house.’Francesca Overy-BrewerBuyer Toys & Books

Made to MeasureDress ShirtsFrom £45‘The Made to Measure Shirt wasintroduced to offer our customersa choice similar to Savile Rowfor high street prices. You canchoose your fabric and stylingfeatures to suit your taste. OurMTM shirts were voted the bestas part of a Which? survey lookingat made to measure shirts.’Mark Yates, Head of Innovation& Quality Menswear

Pink USB ClockT40/1211G £9.50‘This clever clock connects fourUSB devices to your laptop orcomputer simultaneously. It’seasy to install and compatiblewith most USB devices, makingit ideal for home or travel.Batteries are included and it isalso available in blue. Best of all,it looks great on any desk andmight even encourage thechildren to do their homework!’Lorraine Gordon, Buyer Gifting

Machine WashableDinner SuitFrom £59‘Our machine-wash, tumble-drysuits were developed to take thehassle out of cleaning formalwear.As well as being environmentallyfriendly when compared with drycleaning, the money saved meansthat in the lifetime of the suit it canpay for itself.’Mark Yates, Head of Innovation& Quality Menswear

Hello Kitty Dressing GownT86/2621C £16-£20‘Fans of Hello Kitty will love this softdressing gown featuring the popularcharacter. It’s supersoft for addedcomfort and can be tumble-dried foradded convenience. No wonder it’sbeen a bestseller for two years running!’Natalie HughesBuying Assistant Girls Nightwear

upport M

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26 | YOUR M&S

Daring delicacies: food

Latest launches: home

Perfectly CookedClassic Turkey Crownwith Pork, Sage andOnion Stuffing£32.99‘In research with customers lastChristmas, we found one concernis over- or under-cooking theturkey. So we created a hassle-free turkey that doesn’t needpreparation and cooks in 55minutes. Inside is our classicstuffing and it’s sold in a roastingbag to lock in the succulence.’Claire Hodgson, ProductDeveloper Meat & Poultry

Christmas DinnerSnow GlobeT21/8987D £19.50‘Snow globes are always popularwith M&S customers and it’slovely to be able to offer differentfunctions each year. For thefirst time we have included amechanism that creates a snowstorm that swirls around theglobe. The dining scene rotatesand the globe plays We Wish youa Merry Christmas. It is poweredvia a wind-up mechanism so nobatteries are required.’Kelly IsonCategory Manager

Beetroot andBalsamic VinegarScottish LochmuirSmoked Salmon£4.99‘Smoked salmon is an absolutefavourite at Christmas and oursis dressed for the occasion! Thedeep purple of the beetroot cureis dramatic against the pinkysalmon and it gives an earthybase flavour to cut through theoily, smoked notes. The balsamicbrings the flavours together.’Elaine Kessler, ProductDeveloper Fish & Fish Deli

Glow in the DarkGift WrapSheet wrap T21/2467W £4.50Large bag T21/4094B £3.50‘These have a snowflake designprinted with a special ink thatabsorbs energy from natural orartificial light. When the lightsare turned off, it will re-emit thelight and glow in the dark! Ourcustomers tell us they like to createmagical, unexpected momentsfor their families at Christmas.This is perfect for an element ofsurprise and excitement.’Mark BoydenTechnical Manager

The Collection Shaped &Topped Christmas Cake£16.99‘We have combined tradition witha real twist. We generated theidea by drawing lots of differentshapes and trying them out incake. We liked the idea of aspiral, from which the fruit couldcascade. We have used glacéfruits and nuts as they arejewel-like. This all-butter fruit cakeis very modern and is a perfectalternative to the classic icedChristmas cake.’Ali RodhamProduct Developer Cakes

British Honey andMustard Sausages onEdible Cocktail Sticks£4.99‘The trend for edible cocktailsticks came from us thinkingabout how we could make partyfood 100% edible with no messysticks – because it’s alwaysdifficult to eat when you arestanding at a party. The crunchysalted pretzel sticks seemed likea great idea and go well with thehoney mustard sticky sausages.’Julia Bradley, M&S ProductDeveloper Delicatessen

d

North Pole Teapot T34/2508T £19.50;Dot and Stripe Espresso Set T34/1268E £15

24-26 Press Show V3 M&S Iss29.indd 2624-26 Press Show V3 M&S Iss29.indd 26 2/11/11 21:08:492/11/11 21:08:49

PEOPLE

YOUR M&S | 27

Here we recognise the achievements of our Store Managers of the Quarter

T hese are the proud winners of ‘Store Managers of theQuarter’ for Q2. All won both Store Manager of the Monthand Regional Store Manager of the Month before being put

forward for this prestigious award. Part of our Retail Celebrating

Success programme, all of the winners have achieved five greenKey Performance Indicators (KPIs) and have evidence of startingto deliver the journey to degree-level retailing. Here we namethose dedicated employees who have scooped this accolade…

Celebrating success

David Bruce

ChristineHargreaves

Deborah Warner

Adam Jones

Alex Clarke

Elaine Courland

Sarah Bailey

Robin Sheath

Simon Caffrey

Rose Baldwin

Simon Newman

Anthony Burns

Eleanor Whittle

Andy Tomlinson

Mandy Hartley

Rona Hulbert

Neil Brown

Carl Harrison

Claire Faulkner

Craig Rendall

Jon Cameron

Matt Isom

Caroline Beresford

Sarah Whittingham

Chad Sonara

Adam Pursey

Isabel Meyer

Viv Stewart

We have lots of great Store Managers across the country,so congratulations to all of our regional winners:

Andy BarberStore Manager, PremierMajor, High Street, NorwichAndy has demonstrated flexibility andpersonal sacrifice by moving awayfrom his family to support thebusiness. He has overseen a storedevelopment that has lasted morethan 60 weeks at a cost of £30 million.During this time, the store hascontinued to trade above plan andthe team has remained motivated.Throughout, Andy has demonstratedhis ability to ‘spin many plates’.

Gerry FerrinStore ManagerNewtownbreda, IrelandGerry moved from Deputy StoreManager to Store Manager in Mayand has made a real impact on thestore’s performance. The store isup year-to-date 1.3% on plan and4.3% up on last year. Store standardshave gone from strength to strength.Gerry has also delivered consistentlyacross all the KPIs with all five atAchieve or Exceed. He engages theteam with his energy and enthusiasm.

Pete SwallowQ2 Head of Region, SimplyFood, North West RegionPete is consistently at the top end ofthe Risk Ranking and finished in the topfour for Q2. The region has successfullyled the waste trial, which influenced theimplementation of Customer ReadyFood. In the summer riots, ManchesterPiccadilly Simply Food store wasdamaged but ready to trade the nextday. In particular, Pete has driven the100 Day Coaching initiative, which hasbeen adopted across the division.

Phil RooneyStore Manager, Simply Food,Hazel Grove, StockportUnder Phil’s leadership, his store hasseen sales growth at 3.2% for the yearand 10.8% over two years. It hasalso had ten consecutive on-shelfavailability audits at zero. Philsupported his No 2 Section Managerin a secondment to the Czech Republicto gain food technical knowledge,which led to him being put on M&S’sprogression programme. He is alsocommitted to coaching colleagues.

Diane PeersStore Manager, Junction OneOutlet, Ballymena, Northern IrelandDiane not only reached the salesforecast, but smashed it, while scoringfive green KPIs as outstanding. Withsales 5.2% up on plan and 8% up onlast year, this is a major achievement.What’s more, the service score is95%; the trading safely and legallyscore is 100%; costs are 1% underplan; and absence is under 2%. Dianeis a role model and an inspiration tothe colleagues in her team.

Shown realflexibility andhas a fantasticset of KPIs

Standards instore have gonefrom strengthto strength

Successfullydriven the 100Day Coachinginitiative

Smashed thesales forecastand is a rolemodel to her team

Sales growthof 3.2% for theyear and 10.8%over two years

27 People V2 M&S Iss29.indd 2727 People V2 M&S Iss29.indd 27 31/10/11 23:03:3831/10/11 23:03:38

28 | YOUR M&S

STARLETTER

Q

GIVING THANKSWe love receiving letters from you, so please keep them comingto the addresses on p2. Here, Annabel Lee-Frost of CorporateCommunications responds to your ideas and questions

The M&S Dine in forTwo for £10 offer

is a great success in ourstore. It would boost salesfurther if M&S introduceda Dine in for Two gift card,which customers could buyto say ‘thank you’ to familyor friends. This would be a

convenient way to providea set meal that requiresminimum preparation.Brenda DeedieCheltenham HighStreet store

Thank you for such a smartsuggestion. The Gift Cardteam is passionate aboutlistening to our colleaguesand customers and they loveit when employees comeforward with suggestions. Thisis such a great idea, so they

will be putting it forward inthe next research session.

A few systems will needto be looked at, to avoid anycustomer confusion if the cardis designed for one particulararea but can be spent acrossthe whole of the store – butwatch this space as youmay well see a Dine in forTwo Gift Card in the future!

My grandsonrecently started

school and my daughter

is already finding it difficultto think of food for hislunchbox that is healthy andprovides variety. I thoughtit would be a good idea forM&S to sell kids’ lunchtimesnacks in packaging similarto 5 a Day.

In one section there couldbe a ham or cheese fingersandwich or soft cheesewith either carrot batons orbreadsticks. In another, afew savoury snacks. Slicedapple, grapes and raisins

Q

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PEOPLE

YOUR M&S | 29

Q

Q

Q

Y R M&S | 29

section with a sweet biscuit.This would look colourfuland appealing and covermost children’s tastes,including vegetarians, andbe healthy. In this day andage when many parents areworking, I think it would bean absolute godsend and afantastic seller for M&S.Angela AdvaniRAC Co-ordinator, Swindon

Thanks for your greatsuggestion, which is verymuch in line with our desireto help all our customers enjoya healthy balanced diet. It canbe challenging for parents tocreate lunchboxes every daythat are interesting, healthyand with foods their childrenenjoy. This is one of thereasons why we have launchedthe pick-and-mix lunch boxselection in our cafés, wherechildren can choose froma selection of sandwiches,drinks, prepared fruit anda sweet treat for lunch.

We also have a dedicatedHealthy Eating for Kids sectionon our health website (www.marksandspencer.com/health)which is full of lunchboxsuggestions, and even hasa five-day lunchbox menuplanner. We’re frequentlyreviewing our range ofproducts available to ourcustomers, so thank youfor your valuable feedback.

The majority of cutflowers we sell in our

stores are gifts. On manyoccasions the customer asksus to remove the price label.

We find it difficult toremove them becauseof the position of the label,especially on the beautifulorchids. Even when thelabels are removed, theyleave a residue and, insome cases, a half-tornlabel, which is not very

appealing. In some casesthe customers have askedus to replace the bouquet.We are sure other stores arehaving the same problem.Would it be possible todesign a label that is easierand quicker to remove?Raminder ManuSimply Food, Guiseley

Thank you – the Flowers andPlants team were reallyinterested in your commentsas they always welcomefeedback on our products andpackaging and are continuallylooking for areas to improve.

As the number onedestination on the High Streetfor flowers and plants gifting,we focus much of our timein ensuring that all thepackaging, including thelabels, are suitable to begiven away as gifts. Wehave taken on board yourcomment and will bereviewing the currentadhesive used on all labels,making sure they are strongenough to stay on, but stillable to peel off withoutleaving a residue.

In order to reducedamaged items

and encourage re-use, whydon’t we have structuredplastic wine bottle carriersin stores? I find thecardboard ones fall apartafter only a few uses. Thesecould be sold in the FoodHall and designed to folddown for storage, but itwould be something thatwould potentially last yearsrather than weeks!Katherine EastonRetail Customer Services

That’s an interestingsuggestion. From a Plan Apoint of view, the cardboardwine carriers (which we havebeen using for around 25 years)

can be re-used a number oftimes, and then when they doneed replacing the great thingis that they can be recycled.

We did try selling re-usablewine carriers in the 1990s, butwe found they take up morestorage space and arerelatively more expensive –they would also need to bere-used an awful lot of times tohave a positive environmentalimpact (although who needsanother excuse to buy morefantastic M&S wine)!

I am a Wine Heroat the Exeter store.

My usual opening greetingto customers is to point outthe ‘10% off three bottles’offer, which went downvery well, and a greatnumber of customers tookadvantage of the offer.

However, the currentoffer is ‘25% off six bottles’,which is an even betterdeal, but in some ways lessattractive. A large number ofcustomers decline becausethey have come by bus, theyare on holiday, or the caris parked a long way awayand they can’t face drivingthrough the town to usethe ‘collect by car’ facility.My customers, althoughgrateful, are not takingadvantage in anywhere nearthe same numbers as withthe previous offer.

Could we run both offersconcurrently so ourcustomers get the best ofboth worlds, and we sellmore wine? This would beespecially beneficial in citycentre stores where storeaccess and parking areat a premium.John Kay, Exeter

I’m delighted to seeyou are actively sellingour award-winning winerange so confidently. You raise

a great point about sellingsix bottles in city centre storesand other M&S locationswhere car parking is difficult.

The good news is we arenow running tests on the newBeanstore system, which willallow us to run more than onemulti-buy simultaneously. Thiscould allow us to run boththree-bottle and larger six or12-bottle discounts at thesame time, benefiting both citycentre stores and those withcar parks where customers liketo purchase by the case. It’simportant to complete testingfirst as we need to ensure thenew system is stable, but wehope to run a regional trialbefore Christmas and thenroll it out nationwide.

I hope you enjoyed therecent Wine Hero engagementand tasting day. Best of luckwith Beers Wines and Spiritssales this Christmas!

A £10 M&Sgift voucher forevery questionfeatured and £25for the Star Letter*.We really want to hearfrom you – we’d love toknow what’s concerningpeople in your store oroffice. Send your lettersto the addresses on p2of this magazine.*Letters may be editedfor publication.

we offer!

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30 | YOUR M&S30 | YOUR M&S

114,000packets

of coins and 60,000packs of Operettas havebeen ordered across the

world.

International s

easonal bestsellers

Internat aonalse

asonal bestsellersrChocolate

Coins &Operetta

114,000packets of coins and

60,000 packs ofOperetta have been ordered

by our internationalpartners across the

world.

ndnn

O

s

the

d

Turke

y (46 stores)

TTuTTrkek

yy (4 tores)

Top 5Christmas treatsAfter Dinner Mints

• Operetta • Shortbread• Milk, Dark and White

Chocolate BiscuitSelection • Chocolate

Brazils

JoyeuxNoël ● FroheWeihnachten

●Feliz Navidad

●MutluNoeller●Maligay

angPas

ko●MerryChristmas●

●●●●●●●

●

No matter where you are across theglobe, it seems that everyone loves

Christmas the M&S way

Greec

e (29 stores)GGreecc

ee (29 s ores

Shortbreadis the No1 choicefor our Greek M&S

customers.

Mince piesIn the run-up to Christmas 2010,

customers bought more than 1,000packets of mince pies EVERY

WEEK! This year, ordershave been doubled

to cope withpredicteddemand.

Singapo

re (8 stores)

es)es)

of

Aworldcheer

d

30-31 M&S World V2 M&S Iss29.indd 3030-31 M&S World V2 M&S Iss29.indd 30 31/10/11 23:06:4731/10/11 23:06:47

YOUR M&S | 31

FEATURE

100,000items of knitwear are soldannually, despite there onlybeing one month of cold

weather per year.

Cyprus (11 stores)

Top 5Christmas treatsSwiss Neapolitans• Twist Wrap Truffles• Belgian Biscuit

Collection • RosadaCava • ChocolateCoins & Notes

Shang

hai,China

(5stores)

M&S WORLD

Thailan

d

lan

24,000food hampers were sold inThailand last Christmas, as

well as 14,000 beautyhampers. This year, weare estimating a 20%

increase insales.

To kick off our new series of features on ourglobal business, we take a sneak peek atwhat our customers from around the worldlike to buy from M&S at Christmas time. Withmore than 350 stores worldwide, more andmore people are discovering us every day.

India (22 stores)

ShIIndd

iiaa (22 ssttores)

Mostsurprisingbestseller

Our mid-winter top sellers areM&S classics: men andwomen’s black V-neckjumpers – 9,000 have

been ordered. The P

hilippines(18

stores)

The P

hilippppines(18

stores)

30%of our business in

The Philippines is atChristmas time.

Milk chocolate digestivesare the No 1 choice for

our customers inThe Philippines.

Thailand last Chriswell as 14,000hampers. Thisare estimating

increassales

(10store

s)

tivesfor

30-31 M&S World V2 M&S Iss29.indd 3130-31 M&S World V2 M&S Iss29.indd 31 31/10/11 23:07:4031/10/11 23:07:40

Enjoy

PRIZE DRAW

E B G A P U A R C E A J A QN C Q R K A Q N Z S U Z L NO K G Y I S U H U J E A U KI L T A A F C T N R L O M FZ C B B E R S V O O E A R CE H R K A G P A C G N P O IL G W Y I H A H L A R N F IL T T I V N M T L G R A H BO H P V J U D P I A U X P EC L K V I F I I N R O O T HR Q J R L G B Y G G E M D FG N I H T R U O Y O D H Y HT E R R I B L Y C L E V E RA M H P Z G C Q T R Y H K U

1 48 1 2 4 7

2 5 9 17 4 5 1 8

8 65 9 3 2 12 9 8 7

8 2 4 1 52 4

● Autograph● per una● Terribly Clever● Lochmuir● Indigo● Plan A● Douglas fir● Collezione● Heritage● Formula● Conran● Do your thing

Can you find all ofthese M&S-relatedwords and phraseshidden in thewordsearch grid?

Why not try thissimple Sudoku for aquick lunchtime brainworkout? Good luck.

HOW TO PLAYFill in the grid so that thenumbers 1 to 9, inclusive,are in every row, everycolumn and every 3x3 box.

Sit back, relax and play these gamesYOUR BREAK

The Gourmet Christmas Hamper fromM&S, worth £250, could soon besitting on your dining table. Packed fullof the most delicious treats fromM&S, including chocolates,Stilton cheese, oak-smokedsalmon, a Christmaspudding, Champagneand fine wines, theseluxurious treats are alldelivered in a stunningleather storage box.

Terms & Conditions Entries must be received by 23:59 on 2 December 2011. The prize draw is open to employees of theMarks & Spencer Group of Companies who are permanent residents of the UK and ROI and are aged 18 or over only. Only one entryper person is permitted. No responsibility will be taken for late, lost, indecipherable or misdirected entries. One winner will be drawn atrandom on 5 December 2011 under the supervision of an independent person. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable, subject toavailability and there is no cash alternative. The winner will be notified by 7 December 2011 by phone. M&S reserves the right to substitutethe prize for one which is, in its sole discretion, of equal value. M&S reserves the right to cancel the prize draw at any stage if deemednecessary due to circumstances outside its control. M&S is not liable for any delay or failure to perform any obligation to the winner or otherentrant that is caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control or by any act or omission of any third party. The name and county ofthe winner will be available by sending a stamped addressed envelope to YOUR M&S Magazine at the M&S Head Office at Waterside House.The prize draw shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales. The promoter of the prize draw is Marks & Spencer plc.

Win aGourmetChristmas hamper

Don’t missyour chance to

enter our fabulouslyfestive prize draw. To

enter, email us with yourname, store or officedetails, to the emailaddress on p2, by

2 December2011.

Wordsearch Sudoku

32 OBC V4 M&S Iss29.indd 3232 OBC V4 M&S Iss29.indd 32 8/11/11 11:50:378/11/11 11:50:37

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Marks & Spencer - Christmas

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