Better Health for All

Marks and Spencer has a dedicated health strategy in place for over ten years

, achieving 70% of food sales tonnage from healthier products by April 2024. The company has donated 100 million meals in surplus food since 2015 , supporting 4.7 million people and preventing over 49,000 tonnes of food waste. Alcohol sales represent a single-digit percentage of revenue , and M&S restricts the sale of energy drinks to under 16s while offering lower-alcohol and non-alcoholic options. The company increased free school meal vouchers from £15 to £20 for families shopping at its stores and offers over 50% of its 'Remarksable' value range as 'Eat Well' products , with price drops on 80 such items. M&S supports over 6 million young people and adults through its partnership with YoungMinds , having raised over £4.4 million , and its Marks & Start program has supported 13,000 young people since 2004 , with a focus on mental wellbeing. A partnership with Jigsaw aims to reach 1.5 million young people and their families by 2026. Preventative health measures include reformulation efforts to reduce calories, fat, sugar, and salt , free cancer screenings for high- and medium-risk colleagues , and bowel cancer awareness campaigns. M&S launched new health-focused food ranges like 'Brain Food,' 'YAY! Mushrooms,' 'Good Gut,' and 'High Protein' , and introduced 222 new 'Eat Well' products in 2022. The company's food products meet 86% of 2024 calorie targets and 77% of salt targets , with an industry-leading Additive Policy that excludes over 50 additives and 70 additional additives removed this year. Health education initiatives include an 'Ask the Nutritionist' service , a 'Health Guide' , and the 'Eat Well, Play Well' campaign with national football associations. M&S was the first retailer to sign the Time to Change pledge in 2013 and provides comprehensive mental health training for managers and employees.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

The provided articles do not contain specific, quantifiable data points to assess Marks and Spencer Group PLC against the KPIs for Fair Money & Economic Opportunity. While M&S Bank offers financial products with 'transparent terms'

and 'Sparks Pay' provides 45 days interest-free credit, there is no information on average APRs, fee structures, or revenue from high-cost products. Similarly, initiatives like the Marks & Start program and grants to community businesses focus on employment and community support, but the articles lack data on the share of financial services customers from underserved segments, the company's loan book dedicated to inclusion, or the reach and outcomes of financial literacy programs for customers. No evidence is provided regarding customer data portability, fair lending compliance, wealth-building outcomes for financial product users, profit reinvestment as a percentage of pre-tax profit, debt burden ratios, geographic inclusion of financial services, or the readability levels of financial product disclosures.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

In June 2023, Marks & Spencer was identified for failing to pay the legal minimum wage, owing £578,000 to 5,363 employees due to an unintentional technical issue, which the company stated was quickly addressed

. Despite this, M&S has made investments in employee compensation and benefits. In April 2023, the company invested £57 million to increase hourly wages for over 40,000 customer assistants, ensuring all retail employees were paid above the National Living Wage and aligning with the Real Living Wage . Further increases were announced for April 2024, raising hourly pay for approximately 40,000 store workers to £12.00 (or £13.15 in London), surpassing the UK's National Living Wage of £11.44 . Additionally, in May 2023, M&S enhanced family leave policies, providing six weeks of paternity leave at full pay and doubling maternity and adoption leave to 26 weeks at full pay, backed by a £5 million annual investment . The company also endorses the Employer Pays Principle and supports responsible recruitment in its global supply chain . However, an April 2023 Oxfam report noted issues including in-work poverty, long-term health damage, inadequate sick pay, discrimination, and poor worker representation at M&S's food manufacturing sites in the UK and leather footwear factories in India .

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Marks & Spencer achieved 100% sustainable cotton sourcing by 2019, which includes Fairtrade and organic materials

. The company has also established a sustainable fishing policy, ensuring all seafood products are sourced responsibly . Marks & Spencer maintains an interactive map displaying first-tier manufacturing sites, detailing gender workforce balance and union status . Suppliers are required to join Sedex for transparency and traceability, submitting self-assessments and audit reports . The company monitors approximately 700 factories through both announced and unannounced audits to ensure adherence to its Global Sourcing Principles . In January 2021, Marks & Spencer committed to severing ties with suppliers linked to Uyghur forced labor . Furthermore, the company collaborated with Oxfam for an independent analysis of its supply chains, identifying areas for improvement in work conditions and transparency, and planning actions to address deficiencies .

Honest & Fair Business

Marks and Spencer Group PLC maintains a zero-tolerance stance on bribery and corruption, explicitly prohibiting any form of corrupt payment, including bribes and facilitation payments.

The company is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and has established detailed policies for high-risk areas of corruption, implementing management systems that integrate anti-corruption principles, including risk assessments and internal auditing procedures. M&S also has a strict anti-retaliation policy, encouraging employees and individuals within its supply chains to report wrongdoing without fear of retribution, and provides multiple grievance channels, including anonymous reporting options.

Kind to Animals

Marks & Spencer sources 100% of its fresh chicken across UK stores from slower-reared, higher-welfare systems, providing 20% more space and introducing pecking aids and perches to promote natural behaviors

. As of September 2017, all 37 of its dairy suppliers were RSPCA certified, ensuring strict animal welfare standards . The company has also been consistently ranked as a leader in the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare reports . However, M&S suspended a dairy supplier in July 2022 following undercover footage of goat mistreatment , and another supplier in May 2024 due to unsanitary conditions and mistreatment of hens , highlighting challenges in maintaining consistent animal welfare across its supply chain.

No War, No Weapons

Marks and Spencer's core business is retail, and the company's operations do not involve missiles or weapons systems.

There is no evidence to suggest engagement in arms manufacturing, military contracts, or conflict facilitation, indicating zero revenue from such activities, no development of dual-use technology, and no defense assets requiring divestment. Consequently, there is no defense business for the board to oversee. The company demonstrates adherence to humanitarian procurement standards through its memberships in the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Food Network for Ethical Trade, and its sponsorship of initiatives like Stronger Together and the Modern Slavery Intelligence Network.

Planet-Friendly Business

Marks & Spencer committed to achieving net zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2040

, with an interim target to reduce carbon emissions by 34% by 2025/26 . The company has science-based emissions targets with defined interim checkpoints , though it is noted that M&S is not yet on track to meet these targets . A significant 94% of its emissions fall within Scope 3 , with 58% stemming from its food business , leading to collaboration with over 16,000 farmers to mitigate environmental impacts . M&S invested £1 million through its Plan A Accelerator Fund in climate-related projects , including initiatives to reduce methane emissions from cows' diets, projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 11,000 tons annually . In packaging, the company increased recyclable food packaging to 93% and removed 144 million units of plastic packaging in 2023/24 , exceeding its target for that year , with a commitment to eliminate 1 billion units by 2027/28 . Additionally, 100% of its cotton is sourced responsibly . As a signatory of Wrap's Textiles 2030 initiative, M&S contributed to a 12% reduction in carbon impact and a 4% reduction in water usage per tonne of textiles between 2019 and 2022 .

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Marks & Spencer has over 20 formal partnerships with local community groups and organizations, including Neighbourly, The King's Trust, Oxfam, YoungMinds, Shelter, Royal British Legion, Forever Sabah, and PACOS Trust.

The company has faced multiple cultural appropriation incidents, including criticism for its "Bengali Turmeric Curry" kit, "Punjabi Pilau Kit," Peshwari naan, and a vegan biryani wrap. In response to the curry kit criticism, M&S issued a statement explaining the product's development. M&S's operations do not involve Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes. The M&S Guernsey Community Fund supports initiatives that maintain local landmarks, demonstrating active protection measures for cultural sites. The company's response to cultural incidents has been reactive, such as issuing a statement after public pressure regarding the curry kit.

Safe & Smart Tech

Marks & Spencer adopted a privacy-first approach with Quin AI

, which successfully avoided sensitive data collection for personalized services . This demonstrates excellent data minimization practices.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Marks and Spencer Group plc demonstrates strong performance in waste management and sustainable products. The company maintained 0% operational waste to landfill in 2023/24, having achieved this for UK and ROI operations in 2012.

In 2024/25, 93% of its Food own-brand primary plastic packaging was widely recyclable in the UK, and 91% of polyester used in Fashion, Home & Beauty products came from verified recycled sources. Single-use plastic carrier bag usage declined by 90% since 2008. M&S has implemented numerous waste reduction initiatives, including a Beauty Takeback Scheme expanded to 100 stores, a clothing resale service with eBay/Reskinned, plastic takeback in over 500 Food Halls, and repurposing in-store bakery bread in over 470 stores. Its closed-loop hanger recycling scheme has diverted over 1 billion hangers from landfill since 2007, and it eliminated 5.5 million pieces of plastic by transitioning to paper-based hooks. The company has set ambitious targets, such as a 50% reduction in food waste by 2029/30 and removing 1 billion units of plastic packaging by the end of 2027/28. M&S trains designers and technologists on circular design principles and has launched a repair partnership with SOJO and Reskinned. For suppliers, 17 Tier 1 suppliers have been formally trained on waste segregation management and onboarded to a digital platform. Customer education includes initiatives like changing milk date codes to 'Best Before' and simplifying labelling instructions to reduce food waste.