Beginnings
Beginnings IN DEPTH

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Painting of Penny Bazaar, Van Jones 1955
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This yo-yo was donated by Joy Everett. It belonged to her mother, Alice. It was bought from the Lincoln Penny Bazaar in the 1890s by Alice’s parents.
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You can see original Penny Bazaar goods on display at the M&S Company Archive.
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Tom Spencer
I have been a loyal customer and shopped at M&S since 1965 when I was a little girl and often hid under clothes rails as my mother shopped. I would then panic if I couldn't find her but the lovely staff never failed to come to my rescue. I still hang around those tempting rails of clothes and I'm 52.
Mandy Chadwick
1900 - 1920
1900 - 1920 IN DEPTH

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A typical example of smartly-dressed female sales staff in our early stores, who would be supervised by the store manageress.
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Marks and Spencer has sold innovative products from its earliest days!
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Soon M&S shops opened in a wide variety of central sites, like this one at Castle Street Bristol in 1907.
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We sold music from 1900 to 1920. It was so popular that people posted their penny to the stores, who sent the music out at no extra cost.
I remember often having to evacuate Kilburn store, during bomb alerts in the early 70s. One particular time, when a colleague became hysterical at the assembly point, as the boy she liked was in the store as a member of the 'fire party'. She forgot my fiance was also a member of it & in there too!
Neeru Clarke
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1920 - 1940
1920 - 1940 IN DEPTH

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Miss M Simpson donated this manicure set. It cost a third of her weekly wages as a sales assistant, so she was allowed to pay in instalments.
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This tea set is one of many in the archive and was donated by Doreen Newlyn. It features a beautiful art deco design.
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M&S started selling records in the 1930s. We had our own brand record line, featuring the ‘Marspen Band’, our in-house musicians.
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In the 1930s M&S sold many electrical household goods, including heaters, irons and light bulbs, which were described as lamps.
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M&S food departments opened in 1931 selling fruit, vegetables and canned goods.
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New houses were being built in the 30s and there was a demand for household goods
My mum looks great in the 50s inspired 125 dress - now I know what she looked like when she was young!
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1940 - 1950
1940 - 1950 IN DEPTH

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This children’s book was printed exclusively for M&S. Inside is written "To Harold from Iris, Christmas 1948". Donated by Mrs E Rutter.
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With so many men enlisted to the armed forces, M&S faced a shortage of trained and skilled staff – the answer was to promote women from staff to management.
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With a simple range of quality dishes, the new Cafe Bars, like this one in the Guildford store in 1941, were a war time success for M&S.
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This lump of metal is what remains of the cash float found in the debris of our Bristol store, which was destroyed during an air attack.
I worked in M&S in 1964 when Aberdeen had 500 residents quarantined in hospital with the typhoid outbreak. I married & moved to M&S office in Edinburgh under Mrs Whitehill. Now 50 years later I am working as a Christmas temp in Dundee store in the Lingerie Dept exactly where I started 50 years ago.
Edith Christie 'nee Reid
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1950 - 1960
1950 - 1960 IN DEPTH

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Donated by Mrs P Nicholson, this dress was "worn by all five of my daughters, the hems went up and down depending on which child".
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Hats were very popular in the 1950s as they provided an easy way to update outfits. This one is made of straw and carries the St Michael logo.
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The popular New Look emphasised a narrow waist and created more interest in corsetry. This item is a sample from a wearer trial in 1959.
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This toy cat was donated by Lesley Hughes, who bought it in 1954 for 9s 11d. It was very popular, featuring twice in the employee magazine.
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M&S’s in-house designer, Charlie Wilkinson, produced this beautifully drawn and coloured design.
Used to love when my mum gave us the boiled beef and carrots suet pudding. Yum! Marks & Spencer used to also do packet puddings kind of like a mousse in chocolate, strawberry and banana flavour. The banana was amazing. Why do they always put garlic in everything now? I'm allergic!!!!!!
Donna Johnstone
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1960 - 1970
1960 - 1970 IN DEPTH

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This is a girl’s jumper, bought in 1969. It’s made from Orlon, a man-made wool. We now sell a more modern version of Orlon called Cashmillon.
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As miniskirts became fashionable, tights became essential. American Tan was the shade that all of our sales assistants wore in the 1960s.
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Lycra was first used within M&S for corsetry. This stretchy fabric was used for girdles, which had replaced the stiffer corsets.
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Over the years, staff uniforms have changed according to fashions. The M&S Company Archive holds many different examples.
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M&S has always found innovative solutions to customers' changing lifestyles
In the summer of 1967 my Mum bought me a new dress from M&S, it was pastel stripes, with a bodice and skirt with a tie at the back and white braiding down the front. It was my favourite childhood dress and I called it my rainbow dress. It was washed dozens of times and always looked smart.
Sheila Thompson
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1970 - 1990
1970 - 1990 IN DEPTH

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This is a pair of boy’s cotton BMX pyjamas, age 5-6. BMX bikes were a must-have on Christmas present lists in the late 1980s for most children.
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In 1979 Marks and Spencer became the first high street retailer in Britian to sell the Chicken Kiev.
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Men’s suits have been the focus of much product development, with the first machine washable suit being introduced by M&S in 1987.
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This leisure jump suit is nightwear. It dates from 1978 and is made from brushed nylon, a popular fabric for nightwear in the 1970s.
My first visit to Marks & Spencer was the best!
James Sullivan
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1990 - 2010
1990 - 2010 IN DEPTH

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This silk dress was worn by Dame Shirley Bassey in the 2007 M&S Christmas TV advert. The ‘Your M&S’ adverts featuring celebrities began in 2005.
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2006 saw Limited Collection introduce ‘fast fashion’ to M&S, quickly bringing catwalk trends to customers. These sandals hit the stores within 4 weeks.
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This dress, designed to celebrate 125 years of M&S, uses a print originally designed by the artist Kathleen Guthrie in the 1940s.
Taking my boys to buy their school uniform at Marks & Spencer. Oh how they loved shopping with their mum!!
Irene
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2010-Now
Marks & Spencer is looking forward to the next 130 years. Our core purpose is ‘Enhancing Lives. Every Day’, through our company values of Innovation, Inspiration, Integrity and In Touch. These are the building blocks of Plan A, our eco and ethical programme which is at the heart of how we do business. Following the launch of Plan A in January 2007, we’ve introduced Plan A 2020 which consists of 100 new, revised and existing commitments, helping us to achieve our ultimate goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable major retailer.
2010-Now IN DEPTH

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As a brand with influence over 250,000 workers worldwide, we work to improve the livelihoods of our suppliers and their communities.
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We are reducing how much of our clothing and packaging ends up as landfill by improving packaging, recycling more and using fewer plastic bags.
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We've improved labelling to make it easier for you to eat well, and have trained 1,500 Health Advisors to provide advice on healthy living.
Taking my boys to buy their school uniform at Marks & Spencer. Oh how they loved shopping with their mum!!
Irene
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