Food sales at M&S grew by 3.7% in total during the 13 weeks to March 28, 2015, a performance which the high profile retailer said was “ahead of the market”.
Although the company’s “like-for-like” food growth during the quarter amounted to a much more modest 0.7%, M&S chief executive, Marc Bolland, said the sector had delivered another “excellent performance”.
“Food sales grew both at total and like-for-like level, as our specialist positioning continued to deliver results, in a difficult, deflationary quarter for the food market,” said Mr Bolland.Â
“Customers turned to us for special times of the year as well as everyday quality they can trust. We had a record Valentine’s Day and launched over 350 new products over the quarter.”
M&S, whose pork, bacon and ham offering is 100% British, according to the latest BPEX porkwatch data, says it will “continue to invest in price in order to stay competitive”.