Marks & Spencer’ lingerie collection, a sell-off in India

Marks & Spencer’s has experienced a 40 percent jump in sales of its lingerie collection in India over financial years 2015 and 2017. As a result, the British retailer is planning to increase the number of its standalone lingerie stores in the country.

India is Marks & Spencer’s largest market outside the UK, with 63 other stores in 27 cities operated through a joint venture with Reliance Retail.

The retailer launched its intimates range in India in 2014 as an experiment, now running six stores entirely dedicated to sell the retailer’s lingerie.

“Over the last two-three years now, (lingerie) has been our fastest-growing business unit and I don’t see why that will slow down,” James Munson, managing director of Marks & Spencer India, told ‘Quartz’ in an interview in March.

“We put six stores down as a trial…we have enough confidence to move ahead with them,” said Munson.

India’s underwear market is thought to be worth 4 billion dollars, with big companies –both national and international brands – such as MAS Holdings, Page, Rupa & Co, Lovable, and Gokaldas Intimate, selling both through their own stores as well as other retail formats.