M&S Food moves more pet food, litter and accessories through its aisles than almost any competitor, but the number that should interest a supplier is the compliance and logistics machine standing behind the shelf.
M&S Food: Scale, Format and Footprint
- Founded: 1884, when Michael Marks took a stall at Kirkgate Market in Leeds; later joined by Thomas Spencer.
- Founders: Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer.
- Headquarters: Waterside House, 35 North Wharf Road, Paddington, London, W2 1NW, United Kingdom.
- Ownership: Public company, listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker MKS).
- Scale / Revenue: Group sales of £13.91 billion for FY2024/25; Food sales of £9.02 billion (up 8.7%), with Food operating profit of £484.1 million.
- Stores: More than 1,490 stores globally (around 1,058 in the UK), including M&S Food halls, Simply Food and smaller formats; food also sold via Ocado.
- Workforce: Approximately 75,000 employees (2024).
- Customers: The Sparks loyalty programme has over 17 million members; M&S products represented about 30.3% of Ocado volumes in 2024/25.
- Chief Executive: Stuart Machin.
Everyday Low Price, Engineered
M&S Food operates on a “quality and value” proposition that deliberately trades above the everyday discounters while remaining competitive through its “Remarksable Value” ranges and price locks. Food buying is highly centralised and brand-led: M&S is known for launching more than 1,000 new or upgraded food lines a year and for tight control of specifications, packaging and provenance. The partnership with Ocado Retail (in which M&S holds a majority economic interest, consolidated from 2025/26) extends M&S Food online across a nation-wide network of robotic customer-fulfilment centres, making the digital basket an increasingly important pet-category surface.
For suppliers, M&S Food is a premium, own-label-dominated buyer. It rarely lists unknown third-party brands in food; instead it develops exclusive own-label products with selected manufacturers. That makes it a strong target for suppliers who can act as a co-development partner on pet food, treats and complementary ranges rather than simply pitching an existing brand. Non-food pet accessories may sit with the clothing, home and general-merchandise structures, but the core opportunity for exporters is the food and treat co-manufacturing and own-label development route.
The Pet Aisle at M&S Food
Pet products sit naturally alongside M&S Food’s fresh, treats and gifting ranges. While M&S is best known for human food, its stores and Ocado listings carry pet food, treats, chews and accessories, and its quality and “natural” positioning maps well onto the premiumisation trend in pet nutrition. The “Remarksable” value tier and the continuously refreshed innovation pipeline create room for differentiated pet lines — for example natural-ingredient dog treats, premium cat-food pouches, or giftable pet hampers — that match the M&S shopper’s willingness to trade up.
For exporters, the clearest routes are: co-manufacturing or supplying ingredients for M&S own-label pet food and treats; developing premium, clean-label pet snacks that fit the food-hall theatre; and leveraging the Ocado channel, where M&S-branded pet lines reach an affluent online grocery audience. Suppliers with UK/EU manufacturing, strong food-safety systems and an ability to co-innovate on recipes and formats will find M&S more open than a pure third-party-brand listing would suggest.
Passing the M&S Food Gate
In practice, M&S Food manages supplier relationships through a tightly governed technical and buying process, and new partners should expect to work through the M&S supplier portal, pass a social-compliance audit and commit to the “Plan A” responsible-sourcing standards covering environmental impact, animal welfare, deforestation and labour rights. The retailer’s innovation pipeline launches more than 1,000 new or upgraded food lines a year, so suppliers who can co-develop recipes, formats and packaging with M&S technologists gain a real advantage over those pitching finished, off-the-shelf brands. Because M&S controls specifications so closely, documentation must be complete: full ingredient and nutritional declarations, allergen controls, shelf-life and stability data, and packaging that meets both recycling targets and the premium in-store theatre M&S is known for. Suppliers should also recognise that the consolidated Ocado Retail channel now extends every M&S Food listing online, meaning digital-ready content and fulfilment resilience are part of the supplier obligation from day one.
Because M&S Food is specification-led, pet-food and treat suppliers must meet UK Feed Law and pet-food composition and labelling regulations, hold APHA (or equivalent) registration where animal by-products are used, and be certified to BRCGS, IFS or FSSC 22000. M&S is recognised for its exacting factory-audit and supplier-code standards, including the “M&S Plan A” and responsible-sourcing requirements covering environmental impact, animal welfare, deforestation and labour rights. Full traceability, claim substantiation and a robust recall protocol are mandatory.
Non-food pet items must satisfy UK GPSR, UK REACH and product-safety and labelling rules, with English-language instructions and clear country-of-origin marking. M&S typically requires suppliers to integrate with its supplier portal, pass a social-compliance audit, and commit to packaging and carbon targets. MOQs are high because of the estate and the Ocado volume, but the retailer’s preference for long-term, innovative partnerships means a successful listing can become a durable, high-volume relationship. Suppliers should approach via the M&S Food technical and buying teams with a finished, compliant, own-label-ready concept rather than a generic export catalogue.
2024-2026: Scale Meets Change
In FY2024/25 M&S delivered group sales of £13.91 billion (up 6.1%) and an adjusted operating profit of £984.5 million (up 17.4%), with Food sales up 8.7% to £9.02 billion and Food operating profit up 24.6% to £484.1 million, making Food the group’s largest and fastest-improving division. M&S products accounted for 30.3% of Ocado Retail volumes, and the group took operational control of Ocado Retail from April 2025, consolidating the joint venture from 2025/26.
In 2025 M&S suffered a significant cyber incident that it expects to cost around £300 million of EBIT in FY2026, weighted to the first half, alongside higher wage and national-insurance costs. Despite this, the food business continues to gain market share — by late 2025 M&S Food was reported as Britain’s seventh-largest food-and-drink grocer with around 5.1% share — and management continues to invest in availability, value and innovation. For pet suppliers, the resilience of the Food division and its digital Ocado channel signals a stable, growth-oriented buyer even through short-term disruption.
A Realistic Entry Path
- Position as a co-development partner: M&S favours own-label innovation over third-party brands; bring compliant, finished pet concepts ready for private-label.
- Leverage Ocado: The consolidated Ocado Retail channel is a growing digital shelf for premium pet lines aimed at affluent online shoppers.
- Meet Plan A standards: Environmental, welfare and labour compliance are gatekeepers, not differentiators.
- Win on quality and theatre: Premium, natural, giftable pet formats fit the M&S food-hall experience.
- Prepare for scale: High MOQs and tight specifications reward suppliers with UK/EU manufacturing and reliable fill rates.
— Scott Zhu, Founder, GlobalPetIndex
Sources & Related Reading
Related on GlobalPetIndex
- More Market Intel: Retail Channel
- Global Pet Brand Directory
- Tesco: UK Market Leadership and the Data-Driven Pet Gatekeeper
- Sainsbury’s: A High-Volume, Loyalty-Led UK Channel for Pet Suppliers
- Morrisons: A Vertically Integrated UK Grocery Buyer for Pet Suppliers
