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 Somebody’s 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 children’s 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 we’re 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.