M&S Dumps Booker For Blakemore In Supply Chain Shake-Up

Marks & Spencer has announced a significant shift in its food supply chain strategy, bringing to an end its 15-year wholesale partnership with Tesco’s Booker unit. The British retailer confirmed on Tuesday that Booker, which served as the primary supplier for third-party branded products in M&S’s food business, has been replaced by AF Blakemore & Son Ltd. This new multi-year agreement with the family-owned wholesaler marks a pivotal change in how M&S sources a specific segment of its food offerings.

The decision to switch suppliers comes as M&S aims to enhance its operational efficiency and product availability. Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food, highlighted the benefits of the new partnership, stating, “Blakemore will be providing an improved wholesale solution with a full seven-day-a-week service that will increase availability for our stores and customers.” This move is expected to streamline M&S's supply logistics, ensuring a more consistent stock of popular branded items across its store network.

While M&S is renowned for its extensive range of own-brand, or private-label, food products, it also stocks a curated selection of third-party household names. These typically include well-known beverages like Lucozade, Ribena, and Pepsi Max, alongside staples such as Lurpak butter. Importantly, M&S clarified that this change in wholesale partners does not signal a broader strategy to increase the proportion of third-party food brands offered; the retailer’s core focus firmly remains on developing and promoting its proprietary food ranges.

The ending of this long-standing partnership also highlights the competitive dynamics within the UK grocery market. Tesco, through its Booker unit, is Britain’s largest food retailer, commanding a substantial 28.4% market share according to Kantar data. Marks & Spencer, on the other hand, holds a 3.7% share, as reported by NielsenIQ, and has demonstrated strong growth, being recognized as Britain’s second fastest-growing physical food retailer, trailing only the discounter Lidl.

This strategic realignment underscores M&S’s ongoing efforts to optimise its food business and cater more effectively to its customer base. By securing an enhanced wholesale solution, M&S aims to fortify its position in the competitive retail landscape, ensuring that even its carefully selected third-party branded products are delivered with maximum efficiency and availability, while continuing to champion its much-loved own-brand offerings.