your m&s: nov/dec 2013

Keeping you in touch November / December 2013

Meeting MarcThree store employees interview

CEO Marc Bolland

Your guide to giftingEverything you could possibly

need this Christmas

Festive feastingFrom party food to the main event,

puddings to mince pies

To celebrate the most magical time of the year, we

transport fi ve employees into scenes from our

amazing Christmas TV ad

Let it snow!

S� y� r � r� tm� card on � r s� lvesTurn to page 5 to fi nd out more

01 Cover V3 M&S Iss40.indd 1 08/11/2013 21:59

Features

4 We’re winning…An update on the improvements we’re making in Womenswear and how our stores are taking shape…

5 In Touch Customers say thank you

6 M&S.com update How you can help get our new website customer-ready

7 Three cheersEmployees thank each other

8 The gift of givingWe bring you our top picks for the festive season

12 Food, glorious foodEverything you need to make Christmas magical

16 See them sparkleFive lucky employees are transported into scenes from our Christmas TV ad

21 Meeting Marc Three employees chat to CEO Marc Bolland

4 248

We couldn’t have created this issue of YOUR M&S without these colleagues

Ma� zi� � roes

HOW WE’RE GIVING THIS CHRISTMAS

5 PENCEfrom the sale of items in our Festive Food On The Move

range is donated to Shelter

8Over the past eight years, we’ve raised

more than £2m for Shelter’s

Helpline

16,000This Christmas,

you can help support more than 16,000 homeless people by

buying delicious products from

our Festive Food On The Move

range

2012Last year, we

raised £189,508 for charities from

the sale of our Christmas cards,

and £106,761 from Food On

The Move

‘With so many delicious new offerings this year, we’re very excited about our Christmas food, and know our fellow employees will

be too.’

ELIZABETH TREVERSH,

SENIOR PRESS OFFICER

‘Helping out with the Plan A Awards this year and learning about our incredible winners was a real

honour.’

CARL WELLER,

UPHOLSTERY

BUYER

‘It was a huge privilege to help fi ve M&S employees step inside the world of Christmas magic and sparkle with us.’

HOLLY KICUL, BRAND

CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS

MARKETEER

Close-up

24 Pride of M&S Plan A AwardsWe chat to the winners and share their stories

29 Meet the ExpertCustomer Assistant Maggie Clarke visits Burton’s, M&S’s shortbread supplier

30 Your lettersSpotlighting your ideas, plus puzzles and prizes

Inside

n’t havehis issue of &S withouteagues

inside the worldChristmsparkle

HOLLY

CAM

MAR

this year, we re very excited about our Christmas food, and ouro fellow employee

be too.’

ELIZABETH TREV

SENIOR PRESS OF

and learningt our incredible

winneho

ic and .’

RAND

EVENTS

mas mage with us.

Y KICUL, BR

MPAIGNS &

RKETEER

ers was a real onour.’

CARL WELLER,

UPHOLSTERY

BUYER

02-03 Contents V4 M&S Iss40.indd 2 08/11/2013 22:01

He� o!

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

thing by passing it on to someone else or recycling it after you have read it.

CLARE GOULTYEDITOR, YOUR M&S

‘

12

Picture creditsCover photography: Dan KennedyHair and make-up: Roxanne New, Collette RuddyStyling: Charlotte Ellis Retouching: Rupert KingOther images: Ben Gold, Martin Hunter, Jamie Lau, Alex Ridley, Shutterstock

ContactIf you have an idea for a great news story, please ask your BIG rep to send it to us.

Clare Goulty, Editor – extn 183283Email: [email protected]: Employee Communications, Marks & Spencer, Waterside House, UG East, 35 North Wharf Road, London W2 1NW

Welcome...

I’m sure you’ll all have seen our exciting Christmas TV campaign. In this issue, we magically transported fi ve employees into scenes from the advert. See our special feature on how we did it on My Store Workspace or Today@M&S.

We also bring you the very best in M&S gifts and food. We think you’ll agree, no one does Christmas quite like M&S.

We also bring you a very special feature that sees three store employees interview CEO Marc Bolland.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas . See you in 2014!

21

OUR SHINING STARS We sprinkle a little bit of Christmas magic on some lucky employees

S� ry � � � ? Ema� Employ� .� � s@mar� -and-s� n� r.com

16

Go online now!Look out for the digital version of the YOUR M&S employee magazine. It has all of the fantastic stories from your regular magazine, plus some extra articles for you to read, enjoy and share with your colleagues.

See Today@M&S for details

Lynne Skidmore, GM

Commercial Manager, Dundee

store: one of three employees

who met CEO Marc Bolland

02-03 Contents V3 M&S Iss40.indd 3 06/11/2013 23:52

November / December 2013

� ose-up

FASHION

We’re in a great position to give our

customers a magical, sparkling

M&S Christmas this year. While

we’re still on our journey to

transform M&S, I believe there are

three key reasons why this

Christmas we have the perfect

opportunity to go that extra mile.

Firstly, our products have never

been better. We have the best Food

Halls in the UK, showcasing an

irresistible range of products,

unbeatable in terms of taste, quality

and innovation. In GM, as you know,

we’re putting M&S style and quality

back on the map – supported by our

Leading Ladies ad campaign – and

the early signs are encouraging, with

positive feedback from you, our

customers and the press.

Secondly, our products have never

looked better in our stores, and online,

as we present them with greater

clarity and authority. Our most recent

improvements to our store

environment in Womenswear will

help our customers take a fresh look at

our clothing and encourage them to

shop across more of the store.

Finally – and crucially – I believe

we are serving our customers with

greater enthusiasm and knowledge.

We have magical products, and I know

you’ll be adding the sparkle. So keep

presenting our products with pride,

sell them with confi dence and

encourage your customers to shop

across more of your store or our entire

product range, using the excellent

multi-channel tools you have at

your fi ngertips.

Best wishes for the weeks ahead

and, of course, a very happy Christmas.

Dear colleagues...

BUSINESS

Marc Bolland, CEO

As part of our programme to get

Womenswear back on track, we recently

turned our focus to changing how our

gorgeous clothes are presented in our

stores. Over the past few months, our

store and o� ce teams have worked hard

to o� er customers improved navigation

and a more inspirational shopping

experience.

To support the changes and help live up

to our promise of delivering style and

quality to our customers, all of our 10,000

Womenswear employees have now

completed the in-depth Fashion Camp

training to equip them with the skills to

deliver world-class customer service.

In-store changes in all of our full line

GM stores include:

� Welcome Zones that highlight the latest

trends and most popular lines for

customers as soon as they enter the store� New-look destination departments for

coats, dresses and knitwear� Improved in-store navigation with

more visual displays at the front

of each department� More outfi t suggestions displayed

throughout the store to help customers

build their wardrobes� New brand decor for Womenswear

sub-brands.

Additionally, a new Footwear and

Accessories department has launched

in three stores (Pantheon, London

Colney and Bluewater) as a trial.

The departments have each been

completely transformed with new

fi xtures, fi ttings and visual merchandise

and feature an Inspiration Station –

on a 32in digital screen – that advises

which accessories match that

particular shoe every time a

customer places a product on the

sample shelf.

Fresh look for womenswear

r

FASHION

re

h

04-05 News V4 M&S Iss40.indd 4 08/11/2013 22:02

YOUR M&S

News

05


CH AR IT Y

See your Christmas card on our shelves!

Worthy winners

Every day, we

receive emails

and letters that

demonstrate

how M&S

employees are

In Touch with

our customers.

Here’s a selection

of the stories

we loved…

What a star

A customer recently

contacted Cribbs

Causeway to sing

the praises of Sarah

Coates (pictured left).

The gentleman was

blown away by the

excellent service he

received from Sarah

who was calm and

patient when helping

to source an item, and

then wrestling with a

computer glitch.

Well done, Sarah!

Model behaviour

Bournemouth store

received a letter from

a customer to tell them

about the ‘absolutely

amazing service’ that

they received in the

suits department. They

said that, in particular,

Maggie Toolan was

polite, courteous

respectful, humorous

and gave him lots of

advice on tailoring.

Talk about being

In Touch!

Handled with care

David Harris from

Stratford store recently

went beyond the call

of duty to help two

customers in need

when Mr Turner,

who suffers from

Alzheimer’s, went

missing in store. David

helped to calm Mrs

Turner and notifi ed

the local bus service.

Later, David spotted

Mr Turner and rang

his wife to inform her

that her husband was

safe. He then drove

Mr Turner home at the

end of his shift. Mrs.

Turner will be forever in

David’s debt.

COMPETITION

SERV ICE

Castlepoint store were the hard-working winners of May’s One Day Wardrobe

Clearout, and in September they received their exciting prize –a visit from Plan A

Ambassador Joanna Lumley.

In April, Joanna set stores the challenge of making this Shwopping event the

most successful yet. Castlepoint Shwopped the most items based on the number

of employees in the store – an incredible 3,902 garments – which raised more than

£3,000 for Oxfam.

Joanna commented, ‘I’m absolutely

thrilled by the e� ort

that Castlepoint

went to and it

was a treat to

meet them

and say jolly

well done!’

Are you an aspiring Christmas card

designer? Want to see a card that you

have designed stocked in M&S? We

have a fantastic opportunity for M&S

employees to design their own

Christmas card, with the chance to see

it on the shelves of M&S in time for the

2014 festive season. The winner will also

be invited to visit the factory where our

cards and wraps are made.

Simply send us your design (feel free

to send more than one if you like) by

email or post by 31 January 2014,

with up to 100 words telling us

what inspired them.

Judging will take place in February

2014 and the winner(s) will be

announced in the May/June issue of

YOUR M&S.

Our email address has

changed!For all letters and

competition entries, please email us at

[email protected]

This competition is open only to employees of the Marks and Spencer Group of Companies who are permanent UK or ROI residents and are aged 18 or over only, employed by the company as of 31 January 2014. The competition will start on 20 November 2013. To enter, participants must send us their own original design for a Christmas card, and a short explanation of no more than 100 words explaining what inspired their design. Enter via e-mail to: [email protected]. Or by post to: Clare Goulty, Employee Communications, Marks & Spencer, Waterside House, UG East, 35 North Wharf Road, London W2 1NW. If entering via e-mail, please ensure that your entry is submitted in both the original format that you used for your design as well as in PDF format. For postal entries please ensure that the print is high resolution and on a good quality paper or photographic paper. Closing date for entries is 31 January 2014. M&S will notify the winner by 31 March 2014 and include the details of the process that will follow to accept the full prize. There is no cash alternative. If M&S at any time considers an entry has been plagiarised or is inappropriate, or that the entrant has otherwise failed to comply with these terms and conditions, it may disqualify the entry in its

discretion. The winner may be required, subject to their consent, to take part in reasonable post-competition

publicity for M&S, which may include fi lming, photography or other recordings required by M&S or

other third parties for publicity purposes and the winner agrees to the use of their personal data for such purposes. The entrant agrees the design submitted is their own original work and is not copied in whole or in part from any other third party and assigns all copyright and intellectual property developed during this competition and in performance of the contract, including the submission of their design, exclusively to M&S,

and the entrant shall enter into a contract with M&S on agreed terms. Entries cannot be returned.

For full T&Cs, please see Today@M&S or My Store Workspace.

04-05 News V4 M&S Iss40.indd 5 08/11/2013 22:02


Customers have until 15 December

to place their festive food orders,

online at M&S.com or in store,

from this year’s brochure. Using

the M&S app, customers can scan

pages in the brochure to reveal

exciting content, which includes

a video on how to select fi zz for

your festive party. We have

developed a truly inspiring range

with double the amount

of newness as the

previous year.

Our Christmas

and New Year

brochure is

now in store

and available

on M&S.com.

CH AR IT Y

M & S.COM

For the seventh year in a row, we will be

working with Imperial College Healthcare

Charity and the local corporate community

programme, Time for Paddington, to bring

some Christmas cheer to young and elderly

patients at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington

this December. You can play your part by

donating a spare present, and the team will

even wrap it for you, so it couldn’t be easier.

For more details, email reception@

marks-and-spencer.com.

We’d like you to help us get the

new M&S.com ready for

customer switch-on next spring.

As you’d expect with a beta test

site – meaning that it is a work in

progress – it still needs some

polishing. So we want you to help

us to get it to the point where it

lives up to its fl agship name – a

site we can all be proud of. How?

By giving us your feedback.

We appreciate if you’re a store

employee you might not get the

opportunity to give us feedback

pre-Christmas. You won’t be

missing out – we will give you a

chance in January to have your

say. If you work in o� ces please

take time to shop the site in the

lead-up to Christmas and let us

have feedback.

Right now, our focus is very

much on fi xes: imagine you’re

a customer, can you see things

that don’t work properly or are

wrong? There will also be times

when the site is being updated or

it’s not running smoothly – so

please bear with us. You can

access the site from the home

page of Today@M&S or on your

store sta� PCs. But please

remember, we’re trusting

you to keep details of the

site confi dential.

It’s an exciting time, so

don’t sit on the sidelines:

explore the site and

tell us what you think.

Laura Wade-Gery,

Executive Director,

Multi-channel

E-commerce

We need YOU!

� ose-up

Order online

or in store

DID YOU KNOW?

50% More than half of all Christmas and New Year

food orders are placed online.

1/3This Christmas,

a third of our party food is gluten-free, the largest

amount yet.

1 IN 4We sell one in every four

turkeys bought in the UK over the Christmas

period.

1/3Our top 12

poultry lines account for a third of all our

Christmas Food To Order sales

This year’s Festive Food on the Move is packed with delicious products, from the traditional Turkey Feast Sandwich (£3.25) to a Turkey Curry Wrap (£2.80). Sweet treats include Mini Luxury Mince Pies (£1), Spiced Plum and Vanilla Crumble (£1.50) and Maple Bacon Popcorn (70p). As always, sales of these products will help to raise funds for the housing and homelessness charity, Shelter.

Season’s eatings

The final countdown

The gift of giving

FOOD

The world’s biggest thank you

Macmillan would like to thank

everyone who helped out on

26 September. All e� orts, big and small,

were very much appreciated. Watch this

space for more information on

how much was raised.

Don’t forget

The deadline for Christmas Food

to Order is 15 December

M&S or on your

ut please

trusting

s of the

time, so

delines:

nd

hink.

ery,

r,

06-07 News V3 M&S Iss40.indd 6 08/11/2013 22:03

YOUR M&S

News

07

IN TER NATIONA L

CH AR IT Y SNA PSHOT

Congratulations to the 40-strong team

of M&S runners who took part in the

Royal Parks Half Marathon in October.

The team – a� ectionately known as

Percy’s Trotters – raised more than

£15,000 for Macmillan.

Sayak Arora (centre), Store Manager at Ambience Mall

in Gurgaon, Delhi, was awarded the title of International

Store Manager of the Year back in April. In October, he

came to the UK to collect his award and spend a week

working in our Paddington o� ce. Here he is with

Managing Director India, Venu Nair (left) and Head of

Retail, India, James Munson (right). Well done Sayak!

IN TER NATIONA L

Central and North London region

raised just under £6,000 for Macmillan

by completing a Bridge to Bridge Walk

on 22 September, covering a total

distance of 16km along the Thames.

Your opportunity to thank your colleagues

for their support, dedication, effi ciency and

humour – or simply for being themselves

Charlotte Young (top right) was a

Customer Assistant on Foods

and applied for the role of

Section Coordinator. She

passed her assessment but

sadly the role went to

someone else. But this did

not deter her; she worked

on her development with her

line manager and applied for a

role at a new M&S store in France.

We are delighted she got the

job and started her training

in September. Nominated

by REBECCA MENNIE,

Commercial Manager,

Kenton Bar store

Coach Sarah Plested is the

backbone of our Foods

department. She works incredibly hard

to make sure that our stock position is

accurate, has excellent product

knowledge and is a shining

example when it comes to

sharing that knowledge.

Nominated by

HOUNSLOW OUTLET

BIG

Since becoming a fi rst aider

in the store Debbie Courts,

(below left), has also taken up the

role of a fi rst aid responder in

her local community. This

has fuelled her desire to

become a paramedic and

she is studying at college in

order to achieve her dream.

We know Debbie will

succeed simply because of her

‘can do’ attitude and desire to

help people. Nominated by

DONCASTER OUTLET BIG

SERV ICEThree cheers

rance. (below lef

role o

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b

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o

W

suc

‘ccanan ddoo

)

s

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,

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B

Sin

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(b l l f

Lovely to see EU

What a team effort!

Trotting on

Global star

Our European Works Council took place again this September. The two-day event saw 15 elected employee representatives – pictured above – from all the EU countries where we operate, visiting our Paddington offi ce for meetings and workshops.

06-07 News V3 M&S Iss40.indd 7 08/11/2013 22:04


Close-upThanks a Mac-million!

The Macmillan team would like to thank you for your amazing support. It has helped Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning to raise more than £1.7 million since the partnership with M&S began in 2010.

This year, your fundraising achievements, along with all the money raised from the ‘Little Book of Treats’, hummingbird pin badges and our selection of M&S food sandwiches and cakes, have helped to make the 23rd year of the event our biggest and best yet.

The money you raised will help fund local Macmillan Support Services across the UK – services that provide much-needed practical, emotional and financial support, so no one has to face cancer alone.

From bake offs to sponsored silences, head shaves, customer collections and cake tasting, M&S Café employees and employees from across the business have worked together to raise an incredible £340,000. From everyone at Macmillan, we think you are amazing. Thank you.

SOME MACMILLAN

STATS

2M Two million

people are living with or beyond cancer in the UK – by 2030 this will be four million – putting an even greater

demand on Macmillan services

115,000 Last year

115,000 people signed up to host a Coffee Morning for Macmillan,

raising a record-breaking

£15 million

88M Since Coffee

Morning began, £88 million has been

raised in total for Macmillan

Cancer Support

57 SECS In September this year, we averaged a

Coffee Morning registration every

57 seconds

CH AR IT Y

To make sure nobody is left out this Christmas we have some delicious gluten-free offerings, including this stunning Gluten Free Christmas Cake (£11.00), a Gluten Free Christmas Pudding (£2.00, 100g) and Gluten Free Mince Pies (£2.49, 175g).

We have also launched nine new products to our existing ‘Made Without Wheat’ range, including Triple Chocolate Cookies, Lemon Shortbread, Chocolate Loaf, Mini Cheese Crackers and two tasty new breads. All the products have been specifically developed for coeliacs and are 100% gluten free.

Gluten-free goodiesFOOD

100Marks&Start Logistics,

our partnership with Remploy at Castle Donington DC, is

celebrating hiring its 100th person

Bluewater store employees with the Mayor of Dartford

Employees from Canary Wharf store


Ladybird Onesie, T86/4129, From £16.00

Tiger Onesie, T86/5985, From £20.00

Zebra Onesie, T86/2845, From £18.00

FASHION

PL A N A

In the jungle

Treemendous help

Our own wee dram

FOOD

We are excited to announce that we have launched our very first own-brand whisky. Our Fine Single Malt English Whisky, made for us by the English Whisky Company at the St George’s Distillery in Norfolk, arrived in stores in early November and is described as light and gentle with a hint of smoke.

10,000M&S supply chain

workers in India are now trained in financial

literacy with social enterprise Geosansar

Keep your little ones warm this winter in these cosy onesies...

Our latest partnership with charity Cool Earth will help to protect 5,000 acres of rainforest in Peru and keep one million trees standing. By empowering indigenous communities through funding, and training them to adopt financially and environmentally sustainable land-use policies, the three-year partnership will support Cool Earth’s Ashaninka project in Peru, where much forest has already been lost to soya and cattle agriculture.

Hair raising stuff

CATHERINE DALE FROM KENTON BAR STORE raised more than £200 on the day by shaving her head. Her act alone contributed a huge amount (20%) of the store’s total raised – which was just under £1,000.

Silence is golden

HOSPITALITY Specialist Karon Robertson entered into an all-day sponsored silence for Coffee Morning, raising £338 in total.

All hands on deck

OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM got in on the act, with Steve Rowe, Executive Director for Food, using his volunteering day to visit King’s College Hospital in London. Alongside Macmillan volunteers, he helped to create a much-needed new ‘Safe Space’ in the outpatient department for people affected by cancer and their families.

Going underground

TRISTAN CUTHBERT, IT Business Analyst, has been giving up his spare time this year to fundraise for Macmillan. Tristan and his partner, Cat, have been walking the entire length of the London Underground above ground. This involves 11 tube lines, 269 stops, 400 miles of walking and 800,000 steps!

Some of the brilliant ways that you raised money for Macmillan

SUPPORT IN ACTIONPL A N A

Limited Tweezers,

T22/2187B,

Set, £4

REN Radiance Gift

Pack, T23/4519G,

£30

G��s ��ing

We bring you some of our top picks to put under your tree this Christmas

Edito

r’s pick

Blusher, T22/1634,

£5

‘I’m really excited about our new brands, like the Emma Bridgewater and Downton Abbey ranges. The Downton products have a lovely vintage look to them. I can’t wait to get my hands on the nail varnish set and the cosmetic bag – the colours are gorgeous. ’

SUE TIGHE,

BEAUTY MARKETEER

Beauty

Emma Bridgewater

Black Iris Bath

Elixir, T23/9734G,

£20

Better

head shot

Better

head shot

Downton Abbey

Nail Varnish,

T20/9260F,

Collection, £8.50

Downton Abbey

Cosmetic Bag,

T20/9260G,

£12.50

Alice + Eliza

Powdered Violet

Hand Cream,

T20/7020G, £4 Black Amber Eau

de Parfum – Gold

Edition,T22/1746,

40ml, £16

NEW 08-11 Gifting V4 M&S Iss40.indd 8 11/11/2013 15:31

09YOUR M&S

Christmas gifts


Women

Cashmere onesie,

T38/3009,

£199

Watch,

T06/4053T,

£35

Box Clutch Bag,

T83/0643C,

£29.50

Earrings,

T06/0171D,

£15

‘This cute bobble hat (left) will be at the top of my Christmas wish list this year. It’s practical for chilly winter days but very on trend, too. We expect to sell 80,000 of these this winter!’

DELLA MOORHOUSE,

WOMENSWEAR BRAND

MARKETEER

Ring, T06/0781A,

£25

Faux Fur Shrug,

T62/6514J, £89

Edito

r’s pick

l

e

Bobble Hat,

T01/4360,

£9.50

Pyjamas

T37/3895,

£25

Dressing gown,

T37/2900,

£39.50

NEW 08-11 Gifting V4 M&S Iss40.indd 9 11/11/2013 15:32


Men Watch,

T09/2125C,

£25

Sponge,

T20/8954E,

£4

Wash Bag,

T09/0261,

£39.50

Globe,

T40/8053G,

£35

Edito

r’s pick

Marcel Wanders

Cu inks,

T40/2138G,

£19.50

Gloves,

T09/2244,

£29.50

‘I’ll be buying cosy knits from Blue Harbour (top left) and some of our gorgeous Harris Tweed products for my loved ones this Christmas.’

LAURA JOHNSON,

MENSWEAR MARKETING

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ing cosy Blue Harbournd some of ous Harrisducts for

ones mas.’

SON,

MARKETING

Harris Tweed iPad

Envelope,

T09/0242,

£29.50

Harris Tweed

Phone Slip,

T09/0244,

£19.50

Jumper,

T30/2126B,

£49.50

08-11 Gifting V4 M&S Iss40.indd 10 08/11/2013 22:08


11YOUR M&S

Christmas gifts


Edito

r’s pick

Phoebe Fairy Lip

Gloss Palette

T20/8900B, £5

Blazer,

T88/4438X,

From £38 (with

shirt)

YOUR M&S

Christmas gifts

Kids

Dress,

T74/4203S,

From £16

Magical Christmas

Stories Book,

T79/6858,

£8.50

Emily Button

Writing Set,

T79/9469Z

£8

Bengal Toy Tiger,

T79/8142,

£5

Hat, T72/1529U,

£9 (with mittens)

Percy Pig Magic

& Sparkle Piggy

Bank, 00947169

£12

Monsters University

Monster Bathing

Collection, T20/8935M,

£39.50

Onesies are still very on-trend this year, we’ll sell 600,000 this winter across kids, womens and menswear. We have some super cute stlyes for little ones; personally I love this dragon one (above left).

MARIA KING

MARKETING MANAGER,

KIDSWEAR

Dragon Onesie,

T86/3657,

From £17

ysell 600,000 this kids, womens . We have te stlyes for

sonally I n one

AGER,

08-11 Gifting V4 M&S Iss40.indd 11 08/11/2013 22:09


Festive feastingThis year, M&S is putting the magic and sparkle fi rmly back into Christmas. We bring you some of the festive showstoppers that you might have already seen in our mouth-watering TV ads

Party � �

Mini Battered Scallops with Pea Purée, £7 for 12

These scallop shells, fi lled with a battered mini scallop and a minted pea purée, taste as good as they look.

Mini Posh Hot Dogs, £7 for 10

Miniature versions of our posh hot dogs – with succulent British outdoor-bred pork sausages with buns, tomato ketchup and mustard sauce – tap into the current American food trend.

Open Filo Tartlet Selection, £8 for 12

Choose from either pea, mint and feta, or purple beetroot and goat’s cheese tartlets. Perfect for brightening up any spread.

er / December 2013

‘There’s something very special about our Christmas party food. Even familiar nibbles like our mini hot dogs are given a delicious lift’

BARBARA ROSS, PRODUCT DEVELOPER

yarinin

12-15 Food V3 M&S Iss40.indd 12 06/11/2013 20:49

13YOUR M&S

Christmas food


November / D/ D/ D/ D/ DD/ D/ D/ D/ DDD/ D/ D/ D/ D/ DDDD/ D/ DDDD/ D/ DD/ / / / D/ DD/ D/ D/ D/ eeeeeeeeeeeecececeeeeeceeeeeeeeeee mbeeeeeeeeeeeer 2r 2r 222r 2r 2r 2r 2r 2r 2r 2r 222r 2r 2r 22r 2222r 22r 2r 2r 22r 22r 2222r 2r 222rr 22222222r 222222201301301301301301001010010130130130130130130130130101010013001301010010013013013013001013013001301001010101010101111101001111010000

Whisky Gold Scottish Smoked Salmon (200g), £8

Our gold shimmer Lochmuir salmon (above) – smoked over wood from oak whisky barrels, then steeped in a 12-year-old single malt Scotch whisky – is fi nished with a gold shimmer for a truly festive e� ect.

Winter Fruit Stuffed Turkey Crown (2.05 kg), £35

Delicious bone-in turkey crown with a moist, fl avoursome pork and winter fruit stu ng, wrapped in applewood and chestnut smoked bacon and topped with a spiced butter. Serves 8-10.

Heritage Vegetables (700g), £3.49

This vibrant collection of vegetables (right) is the perfect accompaniment to any Christmas Day meal, featuring golden beets, candy stripe beets, sweet purple carrots, Chantenay carrots and red onion drizzled with a balsamic vinegar and honey glaze.

� e main � en t

Whisky Gold Scotttish

‘These colourful veg have never been seen in a retail pack format before and are usually only found in small, local restaurants.’

TRACEY KNOTT,

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER,

BAKKAVOR SUPPLIER

MakeChristmasdeliciousususdelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicioousousoususdelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicidelicioooooooooooooooooooousususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususAmazing food andflavour sensationsfor all your festivecelebrations

PART ONE STOCK UP ON MAGICAL SWEET TREATS, IRRESISTIBLE GOURMET GIFTS AND MORE…

Christmas

FOOD

SWEET DREAMS

CAKE, PUDDINGAND CHOCOLATEEXTRAVAGANZA

MEET THE STARS

SHOW-STOPPINGCENTREPIECESOF THE SEASON

CHRISTMASWRAPPED UP

GOURMET GIFTSFOR FOOD LOVERS

THE BESTFESTIVE DRINKS

THIS YEAR’SON-TREND TIPPLES

YOUR FREE

GUIDE TO

PLANNING

THE PERFECT

CHRISTMASFOOD

The Ultimate Enchanted

Forest Cake, £20 (1.56kg).

Also available through

the Christmas Food

to Order service.†

Look out for the three special Christmas Food newspapers that will be available in stores on 14 and 28 November and 12 December. Issue one (above) will showcase the very best of our ambient selection, issue two on party food and issue three on the main event. These papers will help you and our customers plan ahead for the festive season and ensure that M&S is the top destination for Christmas food this year.

,taurants.’

NOTT,

ENT MANAGER,

R SUPPLIER

12-15 Food V4 M&S Iss40.indd 13 08/11/2013 22:10

� kes

Chocolate Bûche de Noël (654g), £10

Chocolate sponge soaked in chocolate liqueur syrup and fi lled with chocolate chip ganache; an elegant twist on the traditional yule log.

Enchanted Forest Cake (1.56kg), £20

This cake has been matured to perfection, fed twice with Cognac and covered in marzipan and soft icing, then hand fi nished with soft and royal icing decorations.

Christmas Colin(656g), £7

Our very own Colin the Caterpillar has been reinvented as a tempting chocolate Christmas cake for the very fi rst time.

‘We have an outstanding Food offering this Christmas; I’m most looking forward to this indulgent Chocolate Bûche de Noël.’

STEVE ROWE,

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOOD

Chocode No

Chocolachocolatwith choelegant tyule log.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOOD


Passion fruit mousse, (730g), £13

A refreshing passion fruit mousse, layered with vanilla sponge and a raspberry compôte centre. Comes with raspberry coulis and caramelised orange zest.

Sugar Plum Pudding (907g), £14

Featuring our festive signature fl avour, this pudding is rich and fruity with a hidden centre of mulled plum sauce and Armagnac-soaked plums.

Pu� in� !

12-15 Food V3 M&S Iss40.indd 14 06/11/2013 20:56


Drin�

A� r di� erCheese Platter: Three-year-old Cornish Cruncher Vintage Cheddar, £5 for 300g; Blacksticks Blue £2.68 for 300g; French Petit Brie 500g for £4; Chabichou £3 for 150g.

Espresso Martini (50cl), £11.99

An indulgent blend of vodka, crème de café and crème de cacao. Perfect for a dinner party or as an alternative to dessert.

Sugar Plum Liqueur (35cl ), £9.99

Featuring our signature fl avour, this is an elegant plum liqueur, lightly spiced with cinnamon and cloves to get you in the festive mood.

The Amazing Collection of Fabulous Personalities (220g), £15

A collection of hand-decorated chocolates made using the fi nest ingredients. Choose from six fl avours that include smoked Maldon salt, caramel coulis or Valencia orange.

Ultimate Mini Mince Pie Selection (344g), £2.99

Four mini ultimate mince pies, four mini chocolate brownie mince pies and four mini brandy buttercream mince pies, all decorated with edible stars.

Glitter Juice Drink (1 litre), £1.99

A pomegranate and apple juice drink with glitter shimmer – a juice with the wow factor, or an easy way to jazz up cocktails.

12-15 Food V3 M&S Iss40.indd 15 06/11/2013 20:57


spark�!

With a dash of magic and a touch of sparkle, we transported five lucky M&S employees into a selection of scenes from our Christmas TV advert In the previous issue of YOUR M&S, we asked you to write in and tell

us about your outstanding achievements, or nominate one of your

colleagues, so that we could hand-pick our very own leading ladies to

take part in our Christmas cover shoot.

Read on to find out why these wonderful employees were selected,

what they thought of the gorgeous clothes that they are modelling and

what it was like for them to work on such an impressive project.

kSee them

�d R a

16-20 Christmas Ad V4 M&S Iss40.indd 16 11/11/2013 15:35

17YOUR M&S

Christmas


Jane Lewin, Section Manager, Eden High Wycombe store

‘I started at M&S as a customer assistant when I was at school, and in my 26 years here I’ve worked in dozens of di� erent roles in store – I’ve worked in pretty much every department apart from Womenswear – as well as roles in our Paddington o� ce.

‘Before having my three children I was a full-time commercial manager, but took the decision to move to a part-time section manager role closer to home to allow greater fl exibility.

‘Recently, I’ve been working very hard on YPP (Your People Planning) and building sta� ng models, working across the region and helping out other stores in my own time as well. It’s meant long hours and occasionally working through the night, but I enjoy it. I think it’s fair to say that I have a real determination to deliver.

What I love about working at M&S are the diverse roles that are available, even in one store. It’s such a fast-paced environment, because as a company we’ve always moved with the times.

‘I was nervous and excited about the photoshoot today, but it’s been really fun, especially meeting so many di� erent people from across the business and hearing their stories. I love this stunning Autograph red coat, too.’

d Riding H� d

a� ives a t

Grandma’s h� se...

Coat, T50/1184, £139

Boots, T02/5314W, £99



Win�� tfit

Turn to page 31

to nd out more

Hannah Parsons, VM, Richmond store

‘It’s felt like a dream come true to take part in this magical photoshoot. I’ll definitely be treating myself to this gorgeous outfit when it arrives in stores.

‘I’ve been an in-store first aider for two years now, and earlier this year I received a call telling me that an elderly gentleman had fallen in the stairwell. He was conscious when I arrived on the scene but was very disorientated. He had hit his head when he fell and consequently there was a lot of blood. I had a colleague with me who compressed the wound while I called for an ambulance.

‘When I was on the phone, he lost consciousness and was struggling to breathe, so the operator told me to begin CPR. I started chest compressions and was still carrying them out when the paramedics arrived and gave him gas and air.

‘He was taken to hospital, where the doctors discovered that he had su�ered a minor heart attack and needed a pacemaker to correct an irregular heartbeat. The

paramedics told me that had I not carried out CPR, he almost certainly wouldn’t have been

alive when they arrived. ‘His daughter discovered that he had

been in an M&S store when it happened and called round to find out who had helped him and let me know about his recovery. Later, both he and his wife came in to thank me for what I did, and brought me flowers and chocolates.’

Dress, T42/3077, £49.50; Bag T83/6782L, £29.50;

Bracelet, T06/0483D, £9.50

Take y�r

sea ts a t t�

Mad Ha�er’s

�a party...



‘My role at M&S is

in the GM

marketing team,

so I regularly

work on our

exciting

campaigns, but

this is the first

time I have

featured in one

myself! It was a

real pleasure and a

privilege to be part

of this shoot with

M&S’s very own

leading ladies’

STEFAN, GM MARKETING

PROJECTS & PLANNING

Hat, T09/4481, £35; Jacket, T19/4814A, £99;

Shirt, T11/7455D, £39.50; Dress scarf, T09/9625,

£15; Pocket square, T09/9624, £9.50


Julia Murray, Customer Assistant, Prestatyn store (far left)

‘I’ve worked for M&S for 25 years , so I’ve seen the business go through a lot of changes, including my store. The high street store I’d worked in since 1988 shut in March this year and we moved to a retail park. It was a big change but an exciting one, and we had a huge amount of support from senior management and Paddington of ce.

‘They really do look after you at M&S. My managers and fellow employees couldn’t have been more supportive when my husband passed away. Nearly the whole store attended his funeral, which was very touching. It’s like one big family; in fact both my children have worked for M&S at some point – Kerry in GM and Liam in Food.

‘The shoot today has been such fun, I can already tell it’s going to look magical. I’d never normally wear such a glamorous outfi t like this but I love it!’

Alexandra Florea, Plan A Delivery Manager, Paddington of ce (far right) ‘I moved from my home country of Romania to work for M&S. When I was researching the company for my interview, the more I learnt about Plan A, the more I wanted to work for M&S. So when Joanna Lumley posed her BIG Idea question in February this year, asking what

we could do to improve Plan A, I decided to submit an answer. I was so shocked when I found out a few

months later that I had won. ‘I was invited to a conference for M&S store

managers and leaders where I met Adam Elman, Head of Plan A Delivery. I told him how passionate I am about Plan A and not long after I got a phone call about an opportunity for a secondment to the Plan A team. The rest, as they say, is history.

I think that my story goes to show that with the right amount of determination and

hard work, anything is possible at M&S.’

March this yhange but ansupport frrrromomomom

dn’t

n

d

un, Iagical. morous

her BIG weeee could do to

answer. I was months lat

‘I wasmanagElmahowlonopte

wihar

Se how we did i ! Look out for a behind-the-scenes feature in the digital version of YOUR M&S on My Store Workspace or Today@M&S

Julia: Jumper, T50/1611, £49.50; Bag T83/6799L, £39.50; Snood, T01/7502, £25; Trousers, T50/1150, £99; Boots, T02/0916A, £35. Hannah:

Dress, T69/8102l, £59; Shoes, T02/2491A, £59. Stefan: Jacket, T19/5247, £119, Waistcoat, T19/5247W, £49; Shirt, T25/9422B, £35.00; Trousers,

T17/7113B, £37.50; Shoes, T03/6771, £69. Alexandra: Jumper, T38/7106, £35; Short necklace, T06/6083C, £15; Long necklace, T06/6832C, £19.50;

Jeans, T62/5735I, £35; Boots, T02/0919, £39.50

F l ow th yel ow

brick ro d...

16-20 Christmas Ad V4 M&S Iss40.indd 2016-20 Christmas Ad V4 M&S Iss40.indd 20 08/11/2013 22:4208/11/2013 22:42

21YOUR M&S

Marc Bolland

GETTING TO KNOW MARC

Jenny: What are you most proud of during your time at M&S? I am most proud of the mind-set and spirit of our people, and the passion that they have to drive the business forward. Everyone has worked incredibly hard over the recent months with the Womenswear reappraisal, and it has been very rewarding to see our employees fully engaging with it. Over the past two and a half years, Food has taken very strong steps forward, while our clothing, as well as the way it is displayed, is moving in the right direction.

James: Through Make Your Mark you have embarked on tackling one of today’s key social issues – youth unemployment. Why did you choose to prioritise this problem?In terms of sustainability, we have made a huge impression and have won many awards for our

Three store employees – Jenny Sadowski, James Williams and Lynne Skidmore – chat to Chief Executive Marc Bolland and ask him some insightful questions


21-23 Marc Bolland V2 M&S Iss40.indd 21 06/11/2013 06:53


work. But about a year ago, I realised that we are in danger of creating a world where the grass is green and the air is fresh, but where there are no jobs for the next generation. So that’s why we started on this journey to address youth unemployment; we have a duty to help the next generation by adding another layer to Plan A, as well as the way we do business. I attended one of the celebrations in Croydon store at the end of the fi rst round of the programme, and I have to say it was a very emotional experience. All of the participants were o� ered jobs at the store and not only did some of them cry, but their mentors cried too.

Lynne: The Womenswear reappraisal has brought huge changes to M&S. What e� ect do you hope it will have on our customer profi le? I am very happy with the customer base that we have – of all ages and from a broad range of social demographics. It’s important to remember that the reappraisal wasn’t about attracting a newer, younger customer. We have a 30% market share in lingerie, and what we want is for women who visit that department to walk through the store and suddenly see shoes in the new shoe department, products in the new beauty department, or a nice piece of knitwear in the new knitwear shop.

Jenny: What are your thoughts on In Touch and its progress so far?I believe that In Touch is working very well and we have certainly seen increased engagement between our Paddington o� ce and what is happening on the shop fl oors. Our Fashion Camp was a great example of this engagement and the results have been fantastic. In-store employees are now much more in touch with our products, and because of PACK they are more in touch with customers, too. But it’s more than that, it’s being in touch with the digital world and the fashion world; for the fi rst time ever, we had our own catwalk show at London Fashion Week in September this year. That’s In Touch.

James: At the beginning of your tenure you said that M&S needed ‘evolution not revolution’. Do you still feel that way or have you needed to initiate more revolution than you originally intended? For a company that has existed for nearly 130 years, it was important that the changes we made weren’t a strong shift of the dial; that they weren’t

What are

you most

proud of

during your

time at

M&S?

Which

Christmas

food

products

will you be

buying?

LYNNE SKIDMORE,

GM COMMERCIAL

MANAGER, DUNDEE

STORE

JENNY SADOWSKI,

FOODS COMMERCIAL

MANAGER, TEMPLE

FORTUNE STORE


YOUR M&S

Marc Bolland

23

September / October 2013

WHAT I AM MOST PROUD OF IS THE

MIND-SET AND SPIRIT OF OUR PEOPLE,

AND THE PASSION THAT THEY HAVE

TO DRIVE THE BUSINESS FORWARD.

MARC BOLLAND, CHIEF EXECUTIVE

revolutionary. We wanted to make our changes in phases; rolling them out to some stores and then taking the time to evaluate and see what was and wasn’t working. This is how we learned about the changes that need to be made to our in-store environments, and that we needed stronger destinations, like evolving M&S Woman into M&S Collection. The changes that we have made may seem revolutionary, but evolution is at the heart of them.

Lynne: How have you prepared M&S for the growth of multi-channel sales? Three years ago it was apparent that M&S needed a fundamental rethink and a shift in mind-set about Ecommerce. We recognised the need to put it at the heart of the business, instead of thinking of it as an add-on. One of the first decisions that I made was to move away from the Amazon platform that currently hosts our website, meaning that we can now be in charge of our own digital destiny. What’s brilliant is that stores have really got behind this transformation, too, by embracing the use of iPads as selling tools.

Jenny: How do you believe the M&S brand is perceived internationally?M&S is perceived as upmarket and fashionable, and the core customer can be up to 10 years younger. So in order for us to grow and become a multi-channel international retailer, we must now ensure that we have the product to fulfil these needs.

James: What is the best piece of career advice that you can o�er? My best piece of advice is to stay close to your personality and personal values. My personal values are openness, passion and honesty, and these are very close to that of M&S.

Lynne: M&S is renowned for its excellent festive food o�er. Which Christmas food products will you be buying?The way you celebrate Christmas is one of my favourite things about the UK. I love the run-up and the preparations. Our food o�er is spectacular this year. I tasted it with the team in summer, which I can tell you was not a bad summer’s day! I’m most looking forward to the desserts and cakes.

What is the best piece

of career advice that

you can o�er?

JAMES WILLIAMS, STORE MANAGER,

TELFORD STORE



This has been a fantastic year for Plan A, with a huge number of successes for us to celebrate. Every year M&S people make a huge dif erence to their local communities,

to the environment and to other people – and we recognise and reward these ef orts through our

Pride of M&S Plan A Awards.

The inspirational stories we heard from the winners and runners-up proved just how close

Plan A is to our employees’ hearts. Here, we present your winners…

PRIDE OF M&SPLAN A AWARDS 2013

cember 2013

‘The awards evening was truly amazing, I’m sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. What a privilege it was to be standing there before all the wonderful, worthy winners.’

JOANNA LUMLEY,

PLAN A AMBASSADOR

THE BEAUTIFUL BRITISH

MILITARY WIVES

PERFORMING ON

THE EVENING

24-28 Plan A V2 M&S Iss40.indd 2424-28 Plan A V2 M&S Iss40.indd 24 08/11/2013 23:0508/11/2013 23:05

YOUR M&S

Plan A Awards

25

Best Fundraising Team Award( Clockwise from top left)

Patrick Ferris, Julie Barton,

Caroline O’Sullivan, Bobby

Boal, Pat McConvey and

Lesa Tufts from Abbeycentre

store, Belfast

When a colleague’s friend’s son sadly

passed away at the age of four, the

store decided to support his charity,

Aidan Duf y Especially for You, and

raised an amazing £17,700. Colleague

Lesa Tufts said: ‘We always try to help

charities in the community that really

mean something to our staf members

so we can make a real dif erence.’

Best Individual FundraiserSandra Monkman-Charlton,

Harrogate store

Having raised £11,700 already this

year, Sandra has supported her local

community by funding a probe for

detecting heart defects in unborn

babies, helping to maintain the

helicopter used by the local

Air Ambulance and running

activity services for people with

dementia and their carers.

She told us: ‘Fundraising is my

passion – I love knowing that what

I’m doing helps my community.’

‘It was my absolute pleasure to co-host the fantastic awards ceremony. Our winners have accomplished some phenomenal achievements in their roles.’

MIKE BARRY,

DIRECTOR OF PLAN A



Best Host of Macmillan’s World Biggest Co ee MorningRita Smith (right) and Alexis

Campbell (left) from Newcastle

store M&S Café

The M&S Café colleagues at this store went

the extra mile to ensure their Co� ee Morning

was a huge success. Café Manager Alexis

Campbell says: ‘It was an incredible day,

everyone got dressed up for our Mad Hatter

theme and we made sure our customers had a

fabulous time.’

Greatest Volunteering UptakeWeston-Super-Mare store

At Weston-Super-Mare store,

volunteering to help local charities is

at an incredible level and just a few of

the causes colleagues are involved with

include Cancer Research and Springboard

Opportunity Group, which provides support

for pre-school children with special needs.

Representing the store, Sue Clark, right,

(accompanied by Lisa George, left) says: ‘We’re so

proud to win this award – giving back to the

community is very important to us.’

Local Community Champions of the YearTeam – Kriss Scott and Rosarie

Noon, Morpeth Sanderson store

When the local community su� ered severe

fl ooding and residents were forced to fl ee

their homes, these colleagues were

immediately eager to help. Through

Business Continuity and Plan A, they

provided £10,000-worth of children’s

essentials and bottled water, and delivered

food parcels to those who were unable to

leave their homes because of the fl ood.

Local Community Champion of the YearIndividual – Maz Majid, Head of GM Merchandising Operation (right)

With a team of 15 colleagues from our Paddington

o� ce, Maz developed a programme of mentoring 100

children from deprived communities. Maz told us:

‘My background was similar to some of the

children we are mentoring, and I wanted

to put something back into the

community. It’s a great way for them

to gain confi dence and learn about

potential career opportunities.’

ng Operation

our Paddington

me of mentoring 100

ities. Maz told us:

me of the

wanted

em

t


e

LCInH(r

WWWW

ooo

cch

‘‘M

ch

to

co

to

po

Our Plan A Ambassador Joanna Lumley at the awards

24-28 Plan A V2 M&S Iss40.indd 26 08/11/2013 23:32

Plan A Champion of the Year Madelaine Young, formerly at

Edgware Road store (left)

Madelaine has accomplished some phenomenal

achievements, lifting her store from the bottom of

our Plan A performance table by an incredible

400 places. She said: ‘I tried really hard and I

really cared. The point of Plan A is to

encourage people to be passionate about

the environment and their local

communities. It is a wonderful and

fantastic thing to be part of.’

Best Individual VolunteerPhyliss Buchanan,

Junction One Outlet store (right)

This extraordinary lady, who spends 100

hours a month volunteering, is driven to help

people in need, and her dedication continues

because of the lives she has seen changed

through the work she does. Her team that

nominated her said: ‘There are certain

people who have that special something

about them, and she has it. Phyliss emanates

what this award is about and we are so proud

to know this special lady.’


Plan A CMadelain

Edgware

Madelaine h

achievemen

our Plan A p

400 places.

really ca

27YOUR M&S

Plan A Awards

‘These awards are so important as they give us the opportunity to recognise our local heroes, to showcase our people’s stories and for our employees to go back to their stores and offi ces and inspire others to get involved.’

SACHA BERENDJI,

RETAIL DIRECTOROTHER WINNERS

AND

RUNNERS-UP

RETAIL AMBASSADOR

OF THE YEAR

DANIEL BEDFORD, CHESHIRE OAKS STORE

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

AWARD

CHARLOTTE FRAMPTON, LEEDS WHITE ROSE STORE

BEST MARKS & START

LOCATION

MARKS & START TEAM, SRI LANKA

MARKS & START BUDDY

OF THE YEAR AWARD

MARION MCGHEE, ARGYLE STREET STORE

BEST INDIVIDUAL

FUNDRAISER RUNNER-UP

SIOBHAN ALLISTER, ENNISKILLEN STORE

MOST INSPIRING

VOLUNTEER AWARD

RUNNER-UP

LOIS GILBERT, BIRKENHEAD STORE

ared. The point of Plan A is to

urage people to be passionate about

environment and their local

mmunities. It is a wonderful and

ntastic thing to be part of.’

vidual Volunteerchanan,

One Outlet store (right)

inary lady, who spends 100

h volunteering, is driven to help

d, and her dedication continues

e lives she has seen changed

work she does. Her team that

r said: ‘There are certain

ave that special something

nd she has it. Phyliss emanates

rd is about and we are so proud

pecial lady.’

/ December 2013

really ca

encou

the e

com

fan

BEST INDIVIDUAL

FUNDRAISER RUNNER-UP

SIOBHAN ALLISTER, ENNISKILLEN STORE

MOST INSPIRING

VOLUNTEER AWARD

RUNNER-UP

LOIS GILBERT,BIRKENHEAD STORE



Marks & Start Coordinator of the YearJaniece Brannetti, Braehead store (right)

In 2012/2013, Janiece successfully recruited 45 Marks & Start

colleagues – a phenomenal fi gure. ‘It’s wonderful to win this

award and very unexpected,’ she told us, ‘but I feel that it should

really go to the Marks & Start people I employ because they’re the ones

that have worked so hard to turn their lives around.’

Marks & Start Achiever AwardJoshua Bilboe-Halliday,

Ormskirk store (right)

Josh was born profoundly deaf and has

cerebral palsy, which a� ects his left

side, but he has overcome his

barriers to get where he is

today. Since starting on the

Marks & Start programme,

he has impressed everyone

with his positive attitude

and willingness to learn. His

store manager, Jacqui

Murray, says: ‘Josh is the

most inspirational 17-year-

old I have had the pleasure

to work with.’

Marks & Start Achiever AwardGary Walker, Market Street store,

Manchester (left)

Gary had been through a di� cult time being

homeless, but came to M&S determined to overcome

this and enter employment through the Marks &

Start programme. Gary told us: ‘Two years ago I

would never have believed that I would be where I

am now, working at such a prestigious company.’

ay,

deaf and has

s his left

his

is

‘We were blown away by the number of fantastic nominations. The winners represent just a few of those amazing stories – of employees making M&S proud.’

TANITH DODGE,

HR DIRECTOR

28YOUR M&S

Plan A Awards

24-28 Plan A V2 M&S Iss40.indd 28 09/11/2013 00:19


28 YOUR M&S

Meet the experts

ember 2013

Duncan: What was your favourite

part of the day at Burton’s?

Maggie: I loved being shown around the factory and seeing how our shortbread is made. The team also asked for my input and thoughts on some of the packaging designs that they are working on, which was a real privilege. I can’t wait to see if some of them make it onto the shelves in 2014!

Duncan: What do you think makes

our shortbread so special?

Maggie: For a start, the taste; it’s so moreish. But the way that the product is displayed is very important, too. I work in ambience in Foods, and love ensuring that it’s presented properly on the shop floor. The stag tin this year is beautiful, really striking. We’ve had them in store since September and they’ve been selling very well. It’s important that we get the right balance of having enough product out on the shop floor, but also making sure that it is displayed in the right way; the M&S way.

Duncan: How do you

recommend shortbread

to customers?

Maggie: We have regular customers who come in to buy the

Customer Assistant Maggie Clarke, from Sutton store, visited Burton’s Biscuit Company, which makes our shortbread. During her visit, Maggie toured the factory and chatted with Factory Manager Duncan Crawford

Meet the experts

CHRISTMAS TINS

shortbread throughout the year, but I encourage them to try the rounds or fingers if they haven’t before. I tell them to try heating it up in the oven, too. If customers are sampling a product for the first time, I encourage them to come and find me the next time they are in the store and let me know what they think; it helps me get an idea of what other products I could recommend to them.

Interview swap

Maggie: What’s the secret to

making such moreish shortbread?

Duncan: The recipe that we use is very simple, but is exclusive to M&S. Everything from the colour to the butter percentage has been agreed with M&S. In the factory, we have highly trained employees who recognise when the mixture

has reached exactly the right consistency to go into the moulds, which ensures that the definition of the biscuits and, most importantly, the taste, are perfect.

Maggie: What makes

Burton’s relationship with

M&S so special?

Duncan: We’ve been making shortbread for M&S for 40

years now and are the largest producer of shortbread for UK retailer brands. What’s great is that our operatives are so passionate about making products for M&S; it genuinely excites them and we think that this passion comes through in the final product.

Maggie: How do you decide on

the design for the tins?

Duncan: We start working with M&S Head O�ce 18 months before the launch of a tin in store. We always talk to customers in store during the festive period to see what they respond well to, and we take their thoughts into consideration for the following year.

Maggie: What makes shortbread

so special, and how do you

eat yours?

Duncan: Shortbread origins date back to the 12th century and it was later reinforced in the 16th century by Mary Queen of Scots. It is also a very important part of the Scottish Hogmanay tradition – you’d always expect to find a plate of shortbread in any house that you visit on New Year’s Eve; it’s supposed to signify that you’ll never go hungry that year. But many people, including myself, eat it all year round. Personally, I like to dunk it in my co�ee.

All-Butter Scottish

Shortbread Stag Tin, 650g, £9

All-Butter Scottish

Shortbread Petticoat Tails Tin, 450g, £6

29 Meet the Expert V2 M&S Iss40.indd 29 06/11/2013 06:55


Lucy Randall of corporate

communications finds

the answers to your

questions

e

Y�r ��ers

We are pleased to say,

Scott, that we do indeed have

such a scheme. It’s part of

M&S Choices – our one

stop shop for rewards

and benefits. The registration

period for the bike scheme

comes round every six months

– so your next opportunity will

be around February 2014.

Log on to Choices –

www.mandschoices.co.uk – to

keep an eye on all the latest

offers. If you haven’t already

registered on Choices or can’t

find your log-in details, please

call 0345 3047 474.

Moving forward In our Lingerie department we schedule our bra measurement appointments on paper. Would it not be a good idea to use our iPads? We could store this information via Outlook Calendar or an Excel spreadsheet, thus removing the use of paper. It would also be more secure than having peoples’ names and details in a ring binder.

Mi�ael Ro�rs, W�verhamp�n ��e

Thanks for the great suggestion,

Michael. We agree that there is an

opportunity to improve our

appointment booking systems.

There is currently a review taking

place to bring us more up to date.

Our in-house digital labs team are

looking at possible plans to use an

app system to book appointments

from smartphones.

However, with the exciting launch

of our new M&S.com website

imminently upon us, our Lingerie

booking system will not be looked

into until next year, when the

website is up and running. But

keep your eyes peeled!

A tasty promotion I work in the Bakery at Broughty Ferry, where cookies prove to be very popular. Recently, our store manager asked us to increase sales by 15%. We have been doing our best by promoting the bag of five cookies for £2. I believe we could increase sales by allowing the customer to choose five assorted cookies, instead of five of the same, like competitors such as Millie’s Cookies do. Is this something that could be considered?

John Du�e, Br��ty �y ��e

We think our cookies are

scrumptious and are pleased that

they are so popular at Broughty

Ferry. We have seen a significant

growth in sales by promoting the

five-pack bag, making sure they are

always available for our customers.

Although we love your idea there

are some slight problems with

implementing it; to ensure we keep

our availability where it needs to be,

we have to know exactly what we

have sold. If we don’t know exactly

what we’ve sold, we can’t keep the

right quantity of stock flowing to

your store – and we can’t risk

running out of cookies! If a

customer would like to choose an

assortment, they can always buy a

mix of the individual cookies, or

maybe be really indulgent and buy

two or three of the five-pack bags.

Thank you, though, for the idea,

John. We are always looking for

ideas of how to sell more of our

delicious bakery items and

welcome any other ideas.

Shwop some more I work on the Browse & Order Hub, and customers are often disappointed that they can’t use their Oxfam voucher (£5 o� when you spend £35 or more) online. Is there any way of making these compatible with our online system? This would encourage more customers to Shwop and, in turn, spend more money by using the Oxfam voucher.Ge�� Dan�r, Kensing�n Hi� Str�t ��e

Thank you for your letter, George.

You will be pleased to know that

Oxfam vouchers do work online.

Each voucher has an online code

printed after the voucher expiry

date. Customers can just type

this in at the online checkout

point in the promotional code

box. It’s easy, and hopefully a

lovely incentive to get even more

of our customers Shwopping.

Star LetterDoes M&S offer any incentive for

employees to cycle to work? Is there

a scheme, not just for our London

offices, but our regional offices and

stores throughout the country? I

work at Castle Donington and know

a large proportion of our employees

are local. I think it would be a great

idea to offer a deal on the purchase

of new bikes for any employee who

wanted to get fit and help us work

towards Plan A.

Sco� ��y, �� Doning�n d�tribution �ntre

A £10 M&S gift voucher for every question featured and £25 for the Star Letter*. We really want to hear from you – we’d love to know what’s on your mind. Please send your letters to the address on p3 of this magazine.

*Letters may be edited for publication.

30 Letters V2 M&S Iss40.indd 30 06/11/2013 06:56

Do y� have some thing � say? Ema� Employ�.��s@mar�-and-s n�r.com

P N Q E C U A S W

S E O T A T O P I

T T A M D B U R N

O R U S L D O O E

R O V F D A C U C

R P V I F A S T A

A I N T B I Q S K

C G R A V Y N N E

H T U R K E Y G C

� � � �

� � �

� � � �

�

� �

�

� � � �

� � �

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BaconCakeCarrotsGravyPeasPortPotatoesPuddingSalmonSauceSproutsStu�ngTurkeyWine

Sit back, relax and play these games

Why not try this Sudoku for a quick lunchtime brain workout? Good luck.

See if you can find all of these words to do with Christmas dinner hidden in the wordsearch grid. They might read forwards, backwards, down up or diagonally in any direction.

Let us entertain you...

WIN! This gorgeous dress and bag

Terms & conditions Entries must be received by 23:59 on Friday

20 December 2013. The prize draw is open to employees of the Marks

& Spencer Group of Companies who are permanent residents of the

UK and ROI and are aged 18 or over only. Only one entry per person is

permitted. No responsibility will be taken for late, lost, indecipherable

or misdirected entries. One winner will be drawn at random on

Monday 23 December 2013 under the supervision of an independent

person. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable, subject to

availability and there is no cash alternative. The winner will be notified by

Friday 10 January 2014 by phone. M&S reserves the right to substitute

the 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 deemed

necessary due to circumstances outside its control. M&S is not liable for

any delay or failure to perform any obligation to the winner or other

entrants that is caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control

or by any act or omission of any third party. The name and county

of the winner will be available by sending a stamped addressed

envelope to YOUR M&S magazine at the M&S 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.

You could be the proud owner of this stylish dress and bag, as modelled above by one of our beautiful employees, Hannah. The prize, which is worth £80, can also be seen on Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in our Christmas TV ad as she joins the Mad Hatter’s tea party. To see more of the lucky employees who were chosen to be magically transported into scenes from the campaign, turn to page 16.

Want to own this dress and bag?

Email us with your name, store or o�ce details, at the email

address below by 20 December

31 Puzzles V2 M&S Iss40.indd 31 06/11/2013 06:57


An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how we achieved our incredible Christmas shoot, where employees were transported into scenes from our TV ad

And... action!

The retoucher begins to work on the image of Hannah as Rosie in the Alice in Wonderland scene

Gorgeous accessories lined up and ready to go

The very hat that David Gandy wore while filming the advert

‘You’re fabulous!’ Our photographer, Dan, helps the models to feel relaxed

Our cover star, Jane, has her makeup retouched

22YOUR M&S

Christmas


And... action!

All photos were shot in front of a blank background, with an image from the

advert added later

The talented team at work

� at’s a wrap, f� � .

S� y� in 2014

S� how we did � ! Look out for our behind-the-scenes feature in the digital version of YOUR M&S on MSWor Today@M&S

32 Back Cover V4 M&S Iss40.indd 32 09/11/2013 00:20

your m&s: nov/dec 2013

Documents

christmas food

festive food

christmas magical16

christmas cards

employees chat

fellow employees

world of christmas magic

ouramazing christmas