Under the compelling headline ‘A New Era for Menswear’, M&S is embarking on a major shift in direction to capture a bigger slice of a menswear market it says is worth £10.75 billion annually.
Calling the move “a major growth opportunity”, the retailer, which currently claims a 10.4% menswear market share, is now doubling down on its ambition to “broaden customer appeal, targeting a new younger male customer, and become the authority in men’s fashion”.
Key to this will be the launch of M&S Man – a social channel dedicated to men’s style “to build style perceptions and relevance to a wider audience”.
And that wider audience includes a big focus on a younger demographic. The retailer cites social media as now being the number one influence among men aged 18-34 buying clothing and footwear. So in response, M&S Man will be an Instagram channel exclusively dedicated to men’s style. It will include inspirational styling and ways-to-wear tips, behind-the-scenes content and, importantly, a closer look at the latest trends and collections.
Also, as this customer group is twice as likely to be influenced by fashion seen on social platforms or through celebrity collaborations, M&S will also be ramping up its menswear ambassador programme, with a mix of new and familiar faces “showcasing the very best of men’s style at M&S”.
These will include celebs Spencer Matthews, Ian Wright, Vernon Kay, Olly Murs and Melvin Odoom. New faces will feature motivational speaker and former Love Island contestant, Scott Thomas, and style influencers Stanley Dru, Tim Dessaint and Nathan Griffiths.
Mitch Hughes, director of Menswear at M&S, said: “We are building our authority as a voice in men’s style and doubling-down on our ambition to become the go-to fashion brand for men.
“Through M&S Man and by partnering with some of the UK’s most stylish men, we’re broadening appeal and reaching a new generation of customers. All while continuing to deliver the exceptional quality, innovation, and value that M&S is known for.”
Across stores and online for autumn/winter, it said M&S customers “will find more newness than ever before”, with around 1,800 new menswear options dropping each month (+200 vs last year). This will include a greater focus on trend-led drops throughout the season and, following the success of previous MW campaigns, a +18% deeper buy on AW25 campaign lines compared with last year.
The new direction coincides with this week’s launch of the retailer’s latest Autograph collections, a sub-brand that “has become the cornerstone of Menswear at M&S — synonymous with premium fabrics, quality craftsmanship, and timeless pieces”.
In three years, it notes the Autograph business has more than quadrupled in value and now represents almost 25% of total menswear sales.
Autograph has also been credited with broadening appeal and introducing new customers to M&S. In FY25, 52% of Autograph customers were new to the sub-brand while 5% were new to M&S. Fifty-five percent of all Autograph customers are under the age of 45 (vs 37% of total Menswear customers), it notes.
Hughes added: “Autograph is a big part of our transformation journey, broadening our customer base by bringing new customers to M&S and strengthening our authority in men’s fashion. But it’s only part of the story: right across Menswear we’re introducing more style-led pieces, offering greater choice every month, and investing more deeply in the right sizes and our best-selling lines.”
