Marks & Spencer has debuted a new integrated hub on M&S.com featuring multi-brand ecommerce activewear site The Sports Edit, marking a big move by the British retailer into the fast-growing sportswear category.
M&S acquired The Sports Edit in March 2022, noting the platform’s leadership position in the activewear market as well as its “proven capability in brand curation and emerging brand identification.”
That curation will continue as The Sports Edit settles into its new home on M&S.com. The dedicated website section combines popular features from The Sports Edit standalone site — such as expert sports content and the ability to shop by brand, activity or product type — with the advantages of shopping with M&S such as free click-and-collect service at more than 700 stores.
“We have worked closely with the team at M&S to understand their customer lifestyles in order to hand-pick the very best of The Sports Edit for M&S.com,” said Nick Paulson-Ellis, CEO and Founder of The Sports Edit in a statement. “The launch builds on M&S’s foundation in sportswear to take it to the next level, filling gaps in areas that require specialist product, such as trainers, to offer a platform equipped for the future.”
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At launch the site features 200 sportswear products across women’s activewear and apparel, from brands including Beyond Yoga, FP Movement, Girlfriend Collective, Asics and YMO as well as footwear brands Veja and Hoka, with more brands to be added throughout the year. These third-party brands will sit alongside M&S’s in-house activewear brand Goodmove, which launched in 2020. Goodmove has now become M&S’s biggest in-house brand, selling 1.6 million products annually. The latest Goodmove collection for Spring 2023 includes kidswear offerings for the first time, alongside new offerings for women and men.
“This year we’re backing our growth categories with confidence and going into battle on sportswear,” said Katie Bickerstaffe, Co-CEO of M&S in a statement. “Building on the strong foundation of Goodmove, we’re combining our brand loyalty with the expertise of The Sports Edit to offer our customers an online sports retail platform that is a one-stop-shop for health and wellness. The launch of The Sports Edit as an integrated hub on M&S.com demonstrates the strength of our leading omnichannel platform, which continues to make M&S an increasingly attractive brand partner.”
