The bestsellers that helped make pounds 1bn for Marks & Spencer
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Your support makes all the difference.Top seller: food
PRICE
pounds 1.19
SALES HISTORY
What began as a
simple sandwich in brown or white bread has flourished through the ready- made
sandwich boom of the 1990s. The prawn mayonnaise remains a favourite among the 70 varieties of M&S sandwich
EXPERT'S VIEW
"They really are
delicious. M&S
sandwiches are
always reassuringly damp. Although the chicken tikka really put them on the map, the prawn
mayonnaise is an old favourite." - Simon Hopkinson, Food writer.
PRICE; pounds 12.99 to pounds 18.99
SALES HISTORY; M&S have been
selling champagne for nearly 20 years, but sales have taken off over the last two or three years. They are now one of the largest, if not the largest, champagne importers in the UK.
EXPERT'S VIEW "M&S champagne is generally very drinkable, and good value. The Oudinot was
popular in our tastings recently. pounds 25.99 for a magnum of this champagne is not bad at all; M&S Oudinot did well in a category with other champagnes costing twice as much." - Rowena Medlow, Tastings
Coordinator, Decanter magazine.
PRICE; pounds 12
SALES HISTORY; The M&S polo shirt has been running for many years,
although each year the design details are re-assessed and the colour range
adjusted for the
season.
EXPERT'S VIEW "These sorts of clothes are a fashion staple, rather like Levi 501s. M&S has a good wide range of colours. People tend to re-stock with them each year partly
because of the colour range, but also
because they are quite good value."
- John Morgan, Associate Editor of GQ.
PRICE; pounds 25
SALES HISTORY; New this season, a new fabric combined with a classic shape put the shirt on the cover of Vogue. Stock went fast and is almost sold out
EXPERT'S VIEW "Shantung was the big story this season. The M&S polyester version is actually easier to wear than regular silk as it doesn't crease easily, and you don't have to iron it. The only thing is that it can be a little sticky. We put it on the cover of our May issue; it's an item which we all saw and thought, 'great'. I have one myself." - Alexandra Shulman, Editor of Vogue.
PRICE; pounds 12
SALES HISTORY; The stainless steel range was
introduced last year, and the lemon squeezer was added in the spring range in February, since when stock has sold out quickly.
EXPERT'S VIEW "M&S have done some smart stainless steel stuff recently. The new colander is especially well
designed. Their homeware range is a slightly funny mixture; a lot of it is traditional, but a few designs are very modern. The lemon squeezer is fairly
traditional - it's
certainly not Phillipe
Starck - but the price is reasonable."
- Judith Wilson,
Decorating Editor, Homes and Gardens
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