Marks & Spencer appoints new director of third-party brands

Marks & Spencer has named Amazon’s Nishi Mahajan as the new director of third-party brands.

Mahajan will join the British retailer’s clothing and home leadership team in mid-April, and will report to the department’s managing director, Richard Price.

“Having watched Marks & Spencer closely from the outside, I’ve seen the transformation that’s been underway and cannot wait to be part of the team driving this change,” Mahajan said in a statement.

Mahajan joins from Amazon UK where she spent six years, the last two and a half of which as general manager of fashion. During that time, she was responsible for the retailer’s growth strategy in its EU private label and footwear division.

Earlier in Mahajan’s career, she held head of merchandising roles at the Arcadia Group, and worked at Australian retailers Country Road Group and David Jones.

Marks & Spencer said Mahajan’s “strong digital credentials” and “proven track record in negotiating brand partnerships” make her “well equipped to lead the next phase of growth for Brands at Marks & Spencer”.

Her appointment comes as the retailer continues to bolster its third-party brand offering. In November, it announced a slew of new menswear brands to join its e-commerce platform offering, including Ted Baker, Superdry, Lyle & Scott, and Musto.

Mahajan continued: “It’s clear that brands play a key role in Marks & Spencer's future as a leading omni-channel retailer and I look forward to developing a platform offer that is more attractive to both our customers and brand partners.”