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A direct-to-consumer strategy and cost discipline have helped the British brand grow without leaning on price hikes.

Marks & Spencer has reiterated its focus on “Trusted Value” as part of its ongoing strategy in fashion, home and beauty, outlining how the approach will guide the business this year. John Lyttle, Managing Director for Fashion, Home & Beauty at M&S, said the concept is intended to reflect a long-standing emphasis on product quality, durability and sourcing alongside price. He said the retailer views value as broader than cost alone, encompassing how products are made and how long they last. The comments follow YouGov data indicating that M&S ranks highly among UK retailers for perceptions of style, quality and value. According to the company, these metrics have been tracked since 2018 and show a steady improvement in value and quality perceptions over that period. Lyttle said the data suggests customers believe the retailer is striking an appropriate balance between quality and price. “Trusted value isn’t something we declare. It’s something our customers tell us we’ve earned. And we’re only as good as they say we are. That’s why our approach to Trusted Value runs through every part of our business, from design to sourcing, from fit to product testing,” he said. At the start of the year, M&S launched its “Value You Can Trust” campaign, which highlights selected products across clothing categories. Lyttle cited examples including £30 barrel-leg jeans in womenswear, available in multiple colours and leg lengths, and £30 men’s supersoft jumpers containing wool. The retailer also pointed to price reductions on more than 100 kidswear essentials last year, alongside its one-year guarantee on children’s clothing. Other examples referenced included cotton nightwear starting from £12 and the £10 Jasmine Lace Bra, which has been expanded into additional colours and fits, including maternity and post-surgery options. Looking ahead to 2026, Marks & Spencer outlines three guiding principles for its fashion and home business. The first is a continued focus on quality and responsible sourcing. The department store said that all cotton used in its clothing now comes from more responsible sources and that it is aiming to source 100% of its polyester from verified recycled materials by the end of this year, up from 91% currently. It forms part of its wider Plan A commitment to transition all raw materials in fashion and home to more sustainable alternatives by 2030. The second principle centres on “clear and consistent value communication”, with the company stating that it wants pricing and product information to be straightforward and easy for customers to understand. The third focuses on supporting customers during ongoing cost pressures. M&S said it views Trusted Value as a long-term commitment rather than a short-term campaign, influencing how products are designed, sourced, priced and communicated. “As we look ahead, our focus is simple: Create products people love. Price them fairly. Deliver quality customers can feel – and trust,” said Lyttle.

British lifestyle brand White Stuff has launched a new spring campaign that puts the spotlight on its latest denim offering – shot with some of its own customers – with a focus on fit and quality. The move to celebrate its denim – and the people who actually wear its jeans – comes off the back of customer feedback on the White Stuff website, which has seen 640 five-star reviews across its different styles of jeans. While White Stuff is not necessarily known for its denim, the new campaign aims to change that with a celebration of the variety of jeans on offer, presented through customers Sue, 68, Isser, 46, Jordan, 35, as well as “friend of the brand” Charlotte, 40. Victoria Barrio, Head of Brand at White Stuff, said: “This campaign is about celebrating real people and the jeans that define their everyday wardrobe. Our denim is crafted and tailored for real bodies and lifestyles, and who better to share this message than our very own customers.” White Stuff’s new denim range launches with five hero styles: ‘Tia’, ‘Tia Cropped’, ‘Aubrey’, ‘Ayla’ and ‘Bailey’. Each pair of jeans is made from 20% recycled cotton and 79% organic cotton, forming part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to sourcing natural fibres in its supply chain. Lisa McQuilkin, Ethical and Technical Manager at White Stuff, said: “Our expert denim fit process works on a per-style basis, shaped by the unique characteristics of each wash and design. Every pair is precisely adjusted with our customers in mind, delivering everyday comfort, longevity and a fit that lasts.” The new campaign will appear on paid and owned channels throughout the UK, including digital out-of-home (DOOH), in 107 White Stuff stores, paid and organic social media and the White Stuff website. In December, White Stuff, which was acquired by Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight owner TFG London in October 2024, opened a new 1,302 sq ft store at Birmingham Grand Central Station – ccontinuing its “ambitious” store expansion across the UK having already opened eight new stores in 2025. The new Birmingham location marked the brand’s 119th UK store, with more planned to follow in 2026 in city centres, shopping malls and retail parks across the UK.

Online marketplace Not on the High Street (NOTHS), which has around 14 million UK customers and approximately 6,000 “curated premium partners”, has been acquired by Munich-based private equity firm Executive Equity Partners (EEP). EEP, which acquired 100% of the business from Great Hill Equity Partners and Burda Principal Investments, specialises in “transformative investment situations” and will now implement “strategic reprioritisation” aimed at stabilising revenues and returning the platform to profitability. Founded in 2006, NOTHS is based in Richmond, Greater London, and employs around 70 people. Under its new EEP ownership, and “against the backdrop of a challenging market environment”, the company will now sharpen its strategic focus for the next phase of its development. In addition to capital and financing expertise, EEP is bringing in experienced executives from Executive Interim Partners (EIP), a leading provider of interim management services. Two EIP partners will assume operational leadership at NOTHS and will also become shareholders: industry expert Pascal Schuster will take over as CEO, supported by Christian Sommer as CFO. Pascal Schuster said: “NOTHS has a strong brand and a unique community. As the new CEO, my focus is on setting the right priorities together with the team, strengthening the foundations of the business and guiding the company back onto a path of sustainable growth.”

Despite rapid adoption of AI ‘agents’ by consumers in product discovery, payments remain the ‘friction frontier’ preventing true end-to-end AI shopping. That’s according to new research of over 1,000 UK shoppers by the Retail Technology Show (RTS), which has revealed 60% of UK shoppers “remain mistrustful” of using AI agents to complete end-to-end shopping missions from discovery through to payment, while 57% have “specific concerns” around the payments issue, such as AI agents transacting without authorisation. That rises to 70% of Gen Z and 69% of Millennials, who, in spite of being the demographics that index highest on current use of AI shopping agents, still don’t trust AI agents to transact autonomously, preferring to retain “final control” of payment authorisations. However, two fifths (38%) of shoppers have already used AI agents within product discovery, leveraging the technology to search for items or ask for product recommendations. Usage was even higher among younger demographics, with adoption of agentic product discovery rising to six in ten (59%) of Millennials and over half (55%) of Gen Z. Meanwhile, 27% of UK shoppers have already used AI agents to make purchases on their behalf autonomously, rising to almost half of Millennials (47%) and Gen Z (46%). The data comes after tech giants including Open AI, which launched Instant Checkout late last year, and Google, which launched its Universal Commerce Protocol earlier in January at NRF 2026, are “racing to embed more seamless AI transaction capabilities” and ‘one click’ AI payments across their platforms. Matt Bradley, founder and Event Director of RTS, said: “As the indomitable rise of AI takes over more aspects of consumers day-to-day lives and shopping behaviours, retailers are racing towards meeting rapidly evolving customer expectations, bridging the gap between vision and execution. “With maturity around AI hardening, the next frontier of innovation will require retailers to widen integrations within the AI shopping layer – not just across payments, but beyond into Order Management Systems (OMS), delivery and post-purchase.”

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