How M&S Clothing has strengthened its market position in Britain

Marks & Spencer’s clothing division has made good progress in recent years. When Richard Price took over as managing director of clothing, home, and beauty in July 2020, M&S was working to rebuild its reputation in fashion after struggling with style perception and competition from fast fashion. Five years later, as Price prepares to leave, YouGov BrandIndex data suggests his tenure has helped M&S Clothing achieve gains in consumer perception, sales potential, and market leadership.

Since March 2020, M&S Clothing’s Index score, which tracks overall consumer sentiment by averaging six brand perception metrics, has increased from 40 to 50.1. This ten-point rise indicates stronger consumer confidence in the brand, a trend that outpaces the overall high street fashion sector. M&S exceeds the average high street fashion retailer in terms of customer Impression (50.5 vs. 10.6), Quality (54.9 vs. 11.9), Value (34.1 vs. 3.1), Reputation (34.6 vs. 7.9), Satisfaction (51.8 vs. 9.7), and Recommendation (43.4 vs. 7.7).

The company’s market position has also strengthened. When comparing consumer Consideration – the percentage of people who would consider shopping with a brand – M&S ranks first among all high street fashion brands tracked by YouGov BrandIndex, ahead of Next and Primark. Its Consideration score of 46.8% puts it well above Next (34.8%) and Primark (30.1%), reflecting its ability to attract more potential customers.

This improvement is reflected in purchasing behavior. M&S has maintained a strong conversion rate from Awareness to Purchase Intent, outperforming its closest competitors. While Next and Primark see lower conversion rates from Consideration to Purchase Intent (40% and 45% respectively), M&S achieves 54%, meaning more consumers who consider shopping at M&S ultimately plan to buy from it.

One reason for this success may be how M&S positions itself. When asked what most motivated their recent fashion purchases, M&S customers were more likely than the general public to cite product quality (23% vs. 16%) and trust in the company (13% vs. 9%). This shows that M&S’ success has come not from chasing the lowest prices but by reinforcing its reputation for quality and reliability.

As M&S enters its next phase of leadership with John Lyttle taking over in March, the foundation laid during Price’s tenure presents an opportunity for further growth. His time at M&S has been marked by steady improvement in brand perception, increased consumer engagement, and stronger conversion rates. If these trends continue, M&S will likely remain the dominant player in high street fashion.

YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. M&S Impression score is based on the question: Which of the following brands do you have a generally POSITIVE/NEGATIVE feeling about? Customer Satisfaction: Which of the following brands would you say that you are a SATISFIED/ DISSATISFIED customer of? Quality: Which of the following brands do you think represents GOOD/POOR quality? Corporate Reputation: Imagine you were looking for a job (or advising a friend looking for a job). Which of the following companies would you be PROUD/EMBARRASSED to work for? Value: Which of the following brands do you think represents GOOD/POOR VALUE FOR MONEY? Recommendation: Which of the following brands would you RECOMMEND/tell a friend to AVOID? and delivered as a net score between –100 and + 100. Index score is an average across brand overall health, including General Impression, Satisfaction, Quality, Corporate Reputation, Value and Recommendation. Scores are based on an average daily sample size of 4,506-8508 GB adults between March 1, 2020, to March 1, 2025. Figures are based on a 12-week moving average.

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for Great Britain is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.