Can Clarks shoes put Marks & Spencer back on front foot?
Marks & Spencer will begin selling Clarks shoes this week in a bid to become the go to for back-toschool shopping. The High Street retailer said it was trialling the partnership online and in eight stores, making Clarks the latest major brand to be brought onto the M&S website. The chain hopes to take advantage of a significant rush before the schools go back at the end of the summer after a year of heavily disrupted education. Marks & Spencer said it was trialling a partnership with Clarks online and in eight stores, making the shoemaker the latest major brand to be brought onto the M&S website. Bosses hope that adding big names online will boost sales and emulate the success of its rival Next, which last year sold 434million of third-party brands on its website. In childrenswear M&S already sells Ben Sherman, Russell Athletic and Havaianas, and will this summer add Little Joule, Jack & Jones Junior and Somebodys Child. The company said M&S Kids has added 0.5 per cent to its market share compared to pre-pandemic levels, making it the third largest online childrens clothing website in the UK. Jill Stanton, director of M&S Kidswear said, For millions, an M&S uniform with Clarks shoes is a rite of passage - so were making it even easier for parents by offering the option to purchase these together on M&S.com, as well as in eight of our destination stores. Our kidswear mission is to remain the go to for Back to School whilst growing our daywear offer.  In womenswear M&S bought the Jaeger brand in January, taking it online-only. It also sells Hobbs, Joules, Phase Eight and the White Stuff online.