The Parent Hood, M&S’s first ever Sparks loyalty club for new or soon-to-be parents, has welcomed over 230,000 members to become one of the fastest growing baby clubs in the UK. As part of the strategy to reshape for growth, M&S has doubled down on its intent to broaden its appeal for families. Through Sparks, M&S aims to drive deeper loyalty and engagement, whilst also attracting new customers to shop at M&S.
Latest insight from the retailer reveals one third of its first-ever loyalty club, The Parent Hood, shopped babywear at M&S for the first time this year. Existing customers also shopped more frequently, with visits up by 50%.
The Parent Hood has now driven over £2 million in incremental value to M&S, with 75% of sales coming through kidswear. This has supported strong market share growth in kidswear, which now sits at its highest level in over 10 years at 6.9% (+0.5% from LY), with significant growth in the baby category (8.8% +2% vs LY).
Parent Hood members receive 10% off all babygros at M&S for the first 12 months.
Since August last year, M&S has sold over one million babygros, with over 45,000 members redeeming the introductory offer. Following the success, M&S will be extending the welcome offer until the child turns two years old. Parents will also continue to discover special treats in their Sparks hub as they mark milestones and anniversaries.
One of the key parts of The Parent Hood was to create a parenting community within M&S. Over 30,000 members have taken advantage of the weekly Parent & Baby Coffee Mornings held in M&S Cafés across the UK. This month, M&S has also welcomed Olly Murs and Amelia Tank to become the face of The Parent Hood, as they get ready to welcome their second child later this summer.
Commenting is Alexandra Dimitriu, Director of Kidswear at M&S
“With a renewed stylish product offer and the introduction of our first baby club, we now hold our highest market share in kidswear in over 10 years. We’ve long been known for the hand-me-down quality of our kids’ clothing, but customers are now turning to us at the start of their parenting journey and discovering what we have to offer in baby. Whatever your age or stage, The Parent Hood is here to support families as we continue to broaden our appeal to become more relevant, more often.”