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M&S increases stocks of smaller womenswear sizes due to higher demand

Rise in sales of ranges in six to 10 suggests retailer has been successful in appealing to younger demographic

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”. Pippa Stephens, senior apparel analyst at GlobalData, said M&S’s decision to start stocking outside brands such as Nobody’s Child and Sweaty Betty on its website had helped boost its appeal with younger shoppers while the design of its own-label gear now had “more fashionable shapes and prints”. Dozens of investors attended M&S’s annual meeting at the Paddington headquarters, albeit many fewer than the vast gatherings the FTSE-listed company was once known for when shoppers often berated it over the length of sleeves, knicker elastic and other matters.

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