Top Marks for M&S as its festive fare leads the way

MARKS AND Spencer has had a mixed festive season, but there are good reasons for shoppers and investors to stay positive.

- MATT BRITZMAN

Its food business once again led the way, helping the retailer reach a record share of the UK grocery market.While its fashion, home and beauty division struggled after a major cyber attack in early 2025, the company says it's making strong progress in fixing the problems.

To soften the financial hit from the attack, M&S is aiming to save £100million by making its operations more efficient.

The company expects everything to be running normally again by March.

If that happens, profits in the second half of the year could end up higher than they were last year - an encouraging sign after a difficult start.

Despite wider cost pressures, customers kept coming back to M&S Food over Christmas.