Marks & Spencer doubles down on denim amid category growth

British department store Marks & Spencer is accelerating its denim focus with the launch of a dedicated campaign and new items that respond to growth of the category.

The company said that with its “leading position in women’s denim and a growing market share in men’s denim”, it wished to build on its leadership in one of its key growth categories.

To do this, Maddy Evans, director of M&S Women, shared that the retailer was introducing new refreshed shapes for the spring 2026 season, with a particular focus on its most popular silhouettes.

The barrel jeans, for example, now account for 65 percent of total womenswear denim sales, pushing the retailer to launch new styles like the High Waisted Crease Front Barrel Leg.

This comes on the back of sales among 35 to 54 year old women increasing 9.5 percent, seeing Marks & Spencer outgrow the wider denim market, a press release explained.

In menswear, Marks & Spencer holds a 12.1 percent share of the men’s denim market, and intends to further strengthen its relevance among young male shoppers.

Its efforts in this regard include the introduction of a new 20 pound price point to broaden entry-level availability and the creation of straighter and more tailored shapes alongside a wider wash palette, reflecting a “category-wide shift towards smart casualwear”.