M&S is a bit of a one-stop shop. Not only does it have food, homeware, menswear and womenswear , it’s also somehow managing to cater for several different demographics all at once. It’s long been considered a favourite for middle-aged mums , but lately there’s been a seismic shift and the high street retailer has become.
.. cool.
And it’s all thanks to knickers. Yes, really. The retailer recently revealed that it’s had a £1billion sales boost, leading to its strongest performance since 1997 – and this was predominantly due to an increase in lingerie sales, with one in two women purchasing underwear from the high street staple.
The company has sold 60 million pairs of knickers over the last year, with women under the age of 30 accounting for a third of these sales. This is double the amount of Millennial and Gen Z women who had purchased underwear from M&S in the previous year. If you ask M&S, they’ll tell you that it’s thanks to the ‘B by Boutique’ range, which features brighter colours and bolder patterns.
The range launched in 2022 and saw a 16% increase in sales in the last 12 months. The retailer has done a marvellous job of promoting the brand, teaming up with a number of popular social media influencers to create ‘cult’ must-buy items – and it doesn’t hurt that the prices are incredibly purse-friendly, starting from just £10. But as all ladies will know, it’s not just the look that matters when it comes to underwear – comfort is also cru.
