M&S is to start selling branded products* in its Irish stores. Up to 450 brands, including Coca Cola, Kellogg’s, Barry’s, and Tayto will be phased into all 20 M&S stores by the middle of September.
It’s a big leap for the retailer, which has always prided itself on selling only its own produce, but it’s worked successfully in several UK stores since last year. M&S say that all the branded products will be competitively priced, and that key lines will be price matched weekly with other major supermarkets.
M&S are focusing on areas where they typically have a low market share: soft drinks, confectionary, beer, laundry, personal care, and pet food; or on areas where they have no own brand equivalent. I’m surprised to see confectionary on the list; M&S sweets and chocs are delish. And why buy Colman’s mustard, Jacob’s Cream Crackers, or Nescafe when M&S own brands are so much tastier?
Although I rarely go to M&S for the basics, M&S are one of the best supermarkets for offers; with judicious shopping last weekend, I brought my bill down from €76.99 to €46.09. Some of their range – notably the fruit – is a bit expensive for most, so it’ll be interesting to see how the price of branded goods at M&S compares with those in other supermarkets.
Readers, what do you think of this plan? Would you go to M&S for your Kellogg’s Cornflakes and other brands?
Click into the post to see the full list of new brands at M&S.
*The branded products that will be of offer to Irish customers are: Absolut; Atora Suet; Alldays; Always; Anadin; Aquafresh; Archers; Ariel; Aussie; Bacardi; Baileys; Bakers Pet Food; Barry’s Tea; Batchelors; Bells; Bisto; Bold; Bombay Saphire; Bonio; Bounty; Bovril; Branston; Budweiser; Bulmers; Cadburys; Canderel; Capri-Sun; Carlsberg; Catsan; Cesar; Chef; Cif; Cillit Bang; Cheerios; Club Milk; Club Orange; Coca Cola; Colgate; Colmans English Mustard; Comfort; Corsodyl; Croft Original; Crunchie; Dettol; Dove; Elastoplast; Fairy; Febreze; Felix; Finish; Fixodent; Flahavens; Flake; Flash; Fosters; Galaxy; Gillette; Go Cat; Gordon’s; Guinness; Harveys Bristol Cream; Head & Shoulders; Heineken; Heinz; Hellmanns; Herbal Essences; Horlicks; Hula Hoops; Imperial Leather; Jack Daniels; Jacob’s Cream Crackers; Jamesons ; John Smiths; Johnnie Walker; Kelloggs; Kit Kat; Knorr; Lea & Perrins; Lenor; Li-Lets; Listerine; Lo Salt; Lucozade; Lynx; Lyons Tea; Malibu; Maltesers; Marmite; Mars; Martell; Martini; Mi Wadi; Miller; Mini Cheddars; Minstrels; Captain Morgan; Mr Muscle; Nescafe; Nivea; Nutella; Oasis; Old Speckled Hen; Optrex; Oral B; Oust; Pantene; Pedigree; Penguin; Peroni; Persil; Pimms; Piriteze; Radox; Raid; Red Bull; Revels; Ribena; Robinsons; Ryvita; Savlon; Schmackos; Schweppes; Sensodyne; Sheba; Shredded Wheat; Simple; Smirnoff; Snickers; Southern Comfort; Special K; Steradent; Strepsils; Sure; Tabasco; Tampax; Tayto; Tia Maria; Timeout; Twirl; Twix; Vanish; Vaseline; Veet; Walkers; Weetabix; Whiskas; Wispa; Wrigleys; 7UP