Marks & Spencer has temporarily added a number of branded items to its ranges to help maintain what it calls “strong availability” during the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.
The retailer has traditionally been an own-brand grocer but said it had added branded items such as Rummo pasta and Tilda rice to its ranges to maintain availabilities across “core cupboard staples” as customers continue to be confined to their homes.
M&S said that in some of its small stores it had adapted its product mix to focus on offering more “key staples” such as milk, breads, eggs and meat.
The retailer also followed the lead of many others in the sector by extending funding to enable its smaller food suppliers to access immediate payments to help keep them going during the ongoing health crisis.
As an example of the increase in demand, M&S said that one of its cheese suppliers is currently producing “250% more cheddar blocks, slices and grated packs” than usual.
Managing director of M&S Food Stuart Machin said: “Like all retailers, we’re working to play our part in feeding the nation and ensuring that our customers can continue to buy the products they need for their families.
“We’d like to thank every one of our incredible suppliers – from our farmers, growers and manufacturers to our packers, processors and logistics providers – for working tirelessly to support us all during these unprecedented times.”
Yesterday, M&S announced it had rolled out food boxes for customers to order online. The boxes cost £30 with a £3.99 delivery fee, and will be packed with items including pasta, rice, cooking sauces and even Percy Pigs.
M&S’ joint venture with ecommerce grocer Ocado is due to go live in September this year. Despite issues with Ocado’s website dealing with increased home delivery demands, the chief executive of the joint venture Melanie Smith has insisted the merger plans are “well on track”.
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