Can M&S take on the supermarket space boys with new tack ‘Remarksable’?

Embattled Marks & Spencer (we don’t need to say that every time – but it is) has produced its latest big idea: “Remarksable” value.

This is on its food lines as it takes over from Waitrose as food supplier to Ocado and also tries to challenge the mass market supermarkets in the contest for the weekly food shop.

Food has kept the venerable retailer afloat these many years as its clothing business has gone from bad to worse (they aren’t that bad, M&S just can’t market them well) and this is ambitious by M&S.

First because Ocado customers rather like Waitrose products, second because most M&S food stores or departments aren’t big enough to compete with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons or even Waitrose in the range they carry (most people buy household products as well as food on such shops) or able to take on Aldi and Lidl on price.

As for Remarksable value it hardly trips off the tongue although there’ve been worse. A big ad campaign is in the wings in seems, from Grey presumably.

Some ad magic is important if this one is to fly. Is Grey, currently undergoing all sorts of upheaval, the right horse for this somewhat demanding course in never-quite-ending lockdown?

James Murphy and David Golding’s New Commercial Arts (currently busy with the Halifax and World Out of Home Organization’s #OurSecondChance global campaign) is able to pitch for more business from October. Could be interesting.