Marks & Spencer SWOT Analysis, Competitors & USP

SWOT analysis of Marks & Spencer analyses the brand by its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats. In Marks & Spencer SWOT Analysis, the strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors whereas opportunities and threats are the external factors.

SWOT Analysis is a proven management framework which enables a brand like Marks & Spencer to benchmark its business & performance as compared to the competitors. Marks & Spencer is one of the leading brands in the lifestyle and retail sector.

The article below lists the Marks & Spencer SWOT, competitors and includes its target market, segmentation, positioning & USP. Let us start the Marks & Spencer SWOT Analysis:

SWOT Analysis of Marks & Spencer

For Marks & Spencer, SWOT analysis can help the brand focus on building upon its strengths and opportunities while addressing its weaknesses as well as threats to improve its market position.

Marks & Spencer Strengths

The strengths of Marks & Spencer looks at the key aspects of its business which gives it competitive advantage in the market. Some important factors in a brand's strengths include its financial position, experienced workforce, product uniqueness & intangible assets like brand value. Below are the Strengths in the SWOT Analysis of Marks & Spencer :

1. It is one of the most powerful retail brand with a top of the mind recall

2. M&S’s products are perceives as “value for money” due to quality, convenience and wide range of products.

3. They have their own branded labels

4. It has over 1000+ stores present across 40 countries

5. Over 80,000 employees form a part of the workforce globally

Marks & Spencer Weaknesses

The weaknesses of a brand are certain aspects of its business which are it can improve to increase its position further. Certain weaknesses can be defined as attributes which the company is lacking or in which the competitors are better. Here are the weaknesses in the Marks & Spencer SWOT Analysis:

1. Strong competition from other retail brands means limited market share

2. Being a popular brand, they need to protect their brand from misuse of fake imitation products

Marks & Spencer Opportunities

The opportunities for any brand can include areas of improvement to increase its business. A brand's opportunities can lie in geographic expansion, product improvements, better communication etc. Following are the opportunities in Marks & Spencer SWOT Analysis:

1. M&S can develop their website
2. They can introduce new market segments that offer more profit

3. There are future opportunities in expanding their brand into China & India.

Marks & Spencer Threats

The threats for any business can be factors which can negatively impact its business. Some factors like increased competitor activity, changing government policies, alternate products or services etc. can be threats. The threats in the SWOT Analysis of Marks & Spencer are as mentioned:

1.  Other retail stores are a threat due to their discounted prices
2. M&S being a global retailer means they are exposed to different political facts in countries they work in.
3. Govt policies for retail stores

Marks & Spencer Competitors

There are several brands in the market which are competing for the same set of customers. Below are the top 5 competitors of Marks & Spencer:

1. Aldi

2. Asda

3. Centra

4. Tesco

5. Farmfoods

Hence this concludes the Marks & Spencer SWOT analysis.

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About Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer Overview
Parent Company	Marks and Spencer Group plc
Category	Retail
Sector	Lifestyle and Retail
Tagline/ Slogan	Quality worth every penny
USP	One of the UK's leading retailers with around 21+ million customers each week.
Marks & Spencer STP
Segmentation	Cost conscious group
Target Market	Upper class and upper middle class
Positioning	High Quality within reach

This article has been researched & authored by the Content & Research Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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