Last update on: 8:52 am July 11, 2024 by fashionabc

Marks And Spencer, SOJO Launch Repair Service. Image: Marks And Spencer.

Introduction

Marks & Spencer is set to revolutionize sustainable fashion with the launch of its new repair service in collaboration with SOJO, an expert in apparel repair and alterations. The ‘M&S fixed by SOJO’ hub, slated to debut in August 2024, marks a significant stride towards the retailer’s commitment to the circular economy. This initiative will empower M&S customers to extend the lifespan of their garments through an online platform offering a range of bespoke repair services, from zip replacements to knitwear mending, starting at £5. This partnership underscores M&S’s broader sustainability strategy, including initiatives like the Beauty Takeback Scheme and longstanding collaborations with organizations like Oxfam, all united under Plan A: Another Life.

Brand History

British brand Marks and Spencer goes back to 1884 when immigrant Michael Marks migrated to England and opened Penny Bazaar in Leeds. Building it on a simple idea, using the slogan “Don’t ask the price, it’s a ’Penny”, Marks did brisk business and acquired a permanent stall in the Leeds covered market. Shortly, he invited cashier Thomas Spencer to be his partner. In 1903, the duo opened their first store in Leeds and the business we all know today began to take shape.

In 1903 Marks & Spencer Ltd was registered as a firm with a capital of 30,000 £1 shares, which were split equally between the two founders. Marks and Spencer earned a stellar reputation in the early twentieth century with a policy of selling just British-made goods. It entered into collaborations with British manufacturers and sold both clothes and food under the brand St Michael introduced in 1928. The retail chain emphasised on quality and had a reputation of fair value for money.

Following the deaths of Tom Spencer in 1905 and Michael Marks in 1907 a lengthy legal battle between Simon Marks and William Chapman began, ending with Simon becoming Chairman in 1916 at the age of 28. Simon was to lead the company for 56 years. After considerable changes in the executive board, Archie Norman​ was appointed Chairman in 2017. In 2022, 2022 Stuart Machin was appointed Chief Executive and helms the retail chain alongside Co-Chief Executive Katie Bickerstaffe.

There are several high points in the retailer’s history. In 1988, the company acquired Brooks Brothers and Kings Super Markets; in 2007, it opened the world’s largest M&S shop outside the UK at Dubai Festival City; and in 2021, the British retailer purchased Jaeger from its administrators. embracing the shift towards digitalisation, the British retailer brought all digital payment solutions under one brand banner: Scan & Shop with Sparks. Per BoF, ‘They have focused on transforming the culture in M&S, improving the quality and value of its clothing and food products, while reshaping its store estate and investing in technology and e-commerce, including a venture with online supermarket Ocado.’

Market Share And Celebrity Endorsements

Marks and Spencer is one of the leading department stores and grocery retailers based in the United Kingdom. Per Companies MarketCap: “As of July 2024 Marks & Spencer has a market cap of $7.70 Billion.”

“Food and Clothing & Home grew volume and value share ahead of the market and sales increased across stores and online. Both businesses have now delivered 12 consecutive quarters of sales growth and this trading momentum gives us wind in our sails, and confidence that our plan is working. We are becoming more relevant, to more people, more of the time… We remained unswerving in our commitment to trusted value, offering customers exceptional quality at the very best price… We have made progress on ‘hardwiring’ sustainable change – how and when we execute our strategic priorities – with progress in store rotation and supply chain. However, we need to move faster and be ruthlessly challenging on the areas where progress has been slower, building a more effective digital and technology infrastructure, accelerating the move to a truly personalised customer experience, and resetting priorities in International,” Stuart Machin, Chief Executive expressed in a press release.

The retail chain has always been supported by the royal family. Duchess of Sussex sparked a surge in demand for M&S when she wore a black batwing jumper in January 2018, reportedly leading to a sell-out on the retailer’s website. However, it was the Duchess of Cambridge who reignited a shopping spree at the British brand in March 2020, captivating royal fans with her elegant pink Marks & Spencer trouser suit.

Repair Service With Sojo

M&S is partnering with clothing repair and alterations experts SOJO to launch a dedicated clothing repair service. The ‘M&S fixed by SOJO’ hub – launching in August 2024 – will support M&S customers to give their M&S clothes a new lease of life and reduce textile waste, a key initiative by the retailer to drive the circular economy. Through a dedicated online hub, M&S customers can select and book a variety of bespoke repair services from zip replacements to invisible knitwear mending. With repairs starting from just £5, M&S clothing can be sent, repaired by SOJO’s repair team and returned to the customers within seven to ten days.

Marks And Spencer launches repair Service With SOJO. Image: www.marksandspencer.com

The partnership with SOJO comes as M&S reveals Plan A: Another Life which brings together the retailer’s circularity services into one place. From the new partnership with SOJO, Beauty Takeback Scheme with Handle to its long-running clothes donation partnership with Oxfam, all initiatives now sit together to offer a more seamless experience for customers who are looking for ways they can support a shift to a more circular economy.

Richard Price, Managing Director of Clothing & Home at M&S, commented in a press release: “At M&S, exceptional quality products are at the heart of everything we do, and we want to ensure that all our clothes are too good to waste. Through the launch of our repair service, we’re making it even easier for customers to give their clothes Another life, whether they are using our new repair service or long-standing clothes recycling scheme.”

Josephine Phillips, Founder and CEO of SOJO, commented in the press statement: “It has always been a core mission of ours at SOJO to make repairing clothes mainstream and to extend the life of as many garments as possible. I’m so excited that M&S has chosen to launch a repair service with us at SOJO as it’s an incredibly big step towards that mission. As a brand that has remained a firm constant in almost every household and wardrobe in Britain, this partnership with truly bring easy, accessible and convenient repairs to the masses. Beyond that, as one of the longest standing British brands, having M&S join our Pledge to Repair adds such a great weight to our call for industry-wide change here in the UK.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, M&S’s new repair service with SOJO marks a significant step towards sustainability, a more circular economy and reducing textile waste. Additionally, M&S’ is embracing circularity by designing products that are “too good to waste”. Progress to date includes 70% polyester in M&S clothing from verified recycled sources and 100% of cotton in M&S clothing from more responsible sources. M&S customers have given new life to over 36m items of clothing through the clothes recycling programme since 2008, raising an estimated £23m for Oxfam. In April 2024 M&S launched a free postal trial for consumers to donate unworkable clothing alongside pre-loved wearable clothing to Oxfam to be resold, reused, or recycled. And, through the Beauty Takeback Scheme with Handle since June 2023, M&S have diverted over 1.5 tonnes of beauty waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.