M&S arrival edges closer

 

Marks & Spencer, M&SBritish department store, Marks & Spencer, is furthering its push into Australian market, with reports it has appointed two directors to a corporate entity known as Marks & Spencer (Australia).

The move is part of the retailer’s global growth strategy, which aims to turn the department store from a traditional British retailer into an international multi-channel retailer.

In December 2013, Marks & Spencer notified the corporate regulator it had appointed Anthony Clarke, who is an assistant company secretary of the Marks & Spencer Group parent ­company in Britain, and Melissa Lovell, a corporate lawyer at Adelaide-based oil and gas company, Santos, to its Australian division, reports The Australian Financial Review.

A Sydney office was also registered last week.

There is speculation Marks & Spencer will use its smaller store format for its entry into the Australian market, with the AFR reporting the store will be around one fifth the size of David Jones and Myer’s large department stores.

The department store’s arrival will be dependent on finding the right location, with Sydney rumoured to be earmarked for the retailer’s debut.

The London-based M&S, which has more than 1000 stores worldwide, was founded in 1884. It has has 766 stores in Britain and operates 418 stores in overseas countries across Europe and Asia. It has 16 outlets in Hong Kong and 10 in Singapore. It sells a mixture of homebrand grocery, pre-packaged food, and general merchandise.

 

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