Marks & Spencer embark on digitally transforming clothing operations

Marks & Spencer has recruited o9 Solutions, a software platform provider, to digitally transform and update its Clothing & Home planning systems.

The retail giant is reshaping the departments for sustainable growth using o9’s AI-powered platform - Digital Brain. This will modernise M&S’ existing systems across merchandise planning, sales stock & intake and range planning, bringing them together into a singular integrated platform.

Phase two of the program will see M&S’ current forecasting and replenishment systems also replaced and integrated into the platform.

Richard Price, Managing Director of Clothing & Home at M&S, commented: "As we reshape for growth, we are investing to modernise and upgrade our systems so we can create greater visibility and collaboration between teams and suppliers, improve planning & availability and enable us to be more tailored and localised with our ranging.

"By having an end-to-end planning platform, we will be able to better use data and AI to inform decision making and future planning so we can continue to be more relevant, more often to our customers."

The roll-out of the platform over the next three years will enable M&S’ Clothing & Home business to become more agile, resulting in a quicker response to customer's needs and emerging trends.

Chakri Gottemukkala, Co-Founder and CEO of o9 Solutions, added: "We are thrilled to be partnering with M&S on such a transformational project for the company. We have a unique opportunity to help an iconic brand jump into the future with our next-generation platform as it reshapes for growth.”

In Fiscal year 2022/23, M&S’ Clothing & Home division grew sales by 11.5%, with like-for-like sales up 11.2%. Last week, the retailer updated the market on its Christmas trading with Clothing & Home sales increasing by 4.8%.