M&S is to start selling branded products* in its Irish stores. Up to 450 brands, including Coca Cola, Kellogg’s, Barry’s, and Tayto will be phased into all 20 M&S stores by the middle of September.
It’s a big leap for the retailer, which has always prided itself on selling only its own produce, but it’s worked successfully in several UK stores since last year. M&S say that all the branded products will be competitively priced, and that key lines will be price matched weekly with other major supermarkets.
M&S are focusing on areas where they typically have a low market share: soft drinks, confectionary, beer, laundry, personal care, and pet food; or on areas where they have no own brand equivalent. I’m surprised to see confectionary on the list; M&S sweets and chocs are delish. And why buy Colman’s mustard, Jacob’s Cream Crackers, or Nescafe when M&S own brands are so much tastier?
Although I rarely go to M&S for the basics, M&S are one of the best supermarkets for offers; with judicious shopping last weekend, I brought my bill down from €76.99 to €46.09. Some of their range – notably the fruit – is a bit expensive for most, so it’ll be interesting to see how the price of branded goods at M&S compares with those in other supermarkets.
Readers, what do you think of this plan? Would you go to M&S for your Kellogg’s Cornflakes and other brands?
Click into the post to see the full list of new brands at M&S.
*The branded products that will be of offer to Irish customers are: Absolut; Atora Suet; Alldays; Always; Anadin; Aquafresh; Archers; Ariel; Aussie; Bacardi; Baileys; Bakers Pet Food; Barry’s Tea; Batchelors; Bells; Bisto; Bold; Bombay Saphire; Bonio; Bounty; Bovril; Branston; Budweiser; Bulmers; Cadburys; Canderel; Capri-Sun; Carlsberg; Catsan; Cesar; Chef; Cif; Cillit Bang; Cheerios; Club Milk; Club Orange; Coca Cola; Colgate; Colmans English Mustard; Comfort; Corsodyl; Croft Original; Crunchie; Dettol; Dove; Elastoplast; Fairy; Febreze; Felix; Finish; Fixodent; Flahavens; Flake; Flash; Fosters; Galaxy; Gillette; Go Cat; Gordon’s; Guinness; Harveys Bristol Cream; Head & Shoulders; Heineken; Heinz; Hellmanns; Herbal Essences; Horlicks; Hula Hoops; Imperial Leather; Jack Daniels; Jacob’s Cream Crackers; Jamesons ; John Smiths; Johnnie Walker; Kelloggs; Kit Kat; Knorr; Lea & Perrins; Lenor; Li-Lets; Listerine; Lo Salt; Lucozade; Lynx; Lyons Tea; Malibu; Maltesers; Marmite; Mars; Martell; Martini; Mi Wadi; Miller; Mini Cheddars; Minstrels; Captain Morgan; Mr Muscle; Nescafe; Nivea; Nutella; Oasis; Old Speckled Hen; Optrex; Oral B; Oust; Pantene; Pedigree; Penguin; Peroni; Persil; Pimms; Piriteze; Radox; Raid; Red Bull; Revels; Ribena; Robinsons; Ryvita; Savlon; Schmackos; Schweppes; Sensodyne; Sheba; Shredded Wheat; Simple; Smirnoff; Snickers; Southern Comfort; Special K; Steradent; Strepsils; Sure; Tabasco; Tampax; Tayto; Tia Maria; Timeout; Twirl; Twix; Vanish; Vaseline; Veet; Walkers; Weetabix; Whiskas; Wispa; Wrigleys; 7UP
Wednesday 1 September, 2010 at 1:41 pm
I spotted this last week in Blanchardstown and I’m not sure I like it really. I like that M&S offer something different from all of the other supermarkets. I don’t ever do a full grocery shop there but regularly shop there for items not available from other brands or for a nice treat as their quality is generally higher than most other stores. Maybe it will just take a little time to adjust to seeing other brands in their stores.
Wednesday 1 September, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I don’t see the point. I go to M&S to get something a bit different, more upmarket. If they start looking like any other supermarket in Ireland, they will loose their special appeal
Wednesday 1 September, 2010 at 2:07 pm
The products are in the Mary St store already, I bought some Knorr Stock Cubes the other day! I think it’s a great idea, with the evil recession, more people are doing a once a week shop and are staying away from M&S because of price and also because of the lack of variety so fair play to M&S for being innovative and brave enough to change to meet the market’s needs.
They’ve kept their own brand products which can be better quality but also more expensive so at least now we have the choice…..and isn’t that what everyone wants?!
Wednesday 1 September, 2010 at 3:32 pm
M&S brand foods are really nice.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out for them.
Also, another thought would be, how would their brands do in the likes of Tesco, Dunnes Stores, etc. It will probably never happen but an interesting thought maybe . . .
Good post . . .
Wednesday 1 September, 2010 at 4:26 pm
I dont like it, simply because in Cork anyway, they stopped stocking some of their own products eg baklavas to make shelf space.
Thursday 2 September, 2010 at 9:31 am
And Claire loves her baklavas 😉
Thursday 2 September, 2010 at 10:06 am
I do you know.
Friday 3 September, 2010 at 9:41 am
Is this launch to divert our attention from the fact that Mark and Spencer have risen their prices significantly. Their best buy spaghetti was 79c now 1.19. (thats a 40% jump), their charlotte potato salad was 1.99, now 2.19. That is just a few examples.
Like always, when the Eur/£ exchange goes the wrong way, M&S is very quick to increase prices, while if it goes the other way, they are very slow to cut prices and quote contracts, futures etc.
Friday 3 September, 2010 at 10:26 am
Nah damienr they launched branded goods in the UK last year too. I know the charlotte potato salad very well, its one of my favourite things. It was on special offer for a while at 1.99. Its usual price is 2.19.
Friday 3 September, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Popped in there yesterday (Grafton Street branch) for ingredients for a fry-up, and I must say it was nice to be able to pick up a bottle of Heinz tomato ketchup too. No substitute for the latter, in my opinion.