The U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) recently launched a clothing repair and alterations service in collaboration with Sojo, a firm that specializes in the tailoring and repair of clothes. This initiative, aimed at promoting sustainability, encourages customers to extend the lifespan of their clothing by submitting them for repairs and alterations, with the ultimate goal of reducing waste. The service covers a wide range of alterations and repairs, from mending knitwear to replacing zippers, and the prices for repairs start at £5, with a turnaround time of 7–10 days for customers to receive their repaired clothing directly back from Sojo’s repair team.

This initiative is part of M&S’s broader “Plan A” strategy, which focuses on environmental sustainability and responsible business practices, while also representing a strategic move by M&S to address growing consumer demand for sustainable fashion and responsible consumption. By offering a repair service, M&S aims to encourage customers to think more sustainably about their wardrobes, enabling them to opt to repair rather than replace items. This encouragement can benefit the environment, by reducing the volume of clothing that ends up in landfills, as well as support the broader economic principle of extending product life cycles. 

The partnership with Sojo also leverages digital solutions to streamline the repair process, making it more convenient for customers. Through a dedicated online hub, “M&S Fixed by Sojo,” customers can book repair services, track the progress of their items, and receive notifications once their clothing is ready for collection. Such offerings arguably should enhance customer loyalty, by providing added value and facilitating their preferences for sustainable consumption patterns. Sojo’s expertise in garment repairs and alterations complements M&S’s extensive retail network and customer base, which also promises a seamless experience for customers looking to extend the life of their clothing.

This move by M&S resonates with and advances a growing trend among fashion retailers to offer repair services to extend the viable life of their (often expensive) products. In addition to addressing consumer demands for sustainability, such efforts represent responses to increasing regulatory pressure on the fashion industry, brought about in attempts to address the substantial detrimental impact that this industry has on the environment. Retailers like Asos, H&M, Uniqlo, and John Lewis, among others, have all launched similarly aimed initiatives over the past few years.

Discussion Questions

1. Will this initiative affect customer perceptions of the M&S brand, in terms of sustainability and value?
2. What challenges do you foresee M&S encountering as it implements this initiative and starts to scale it up? 

Sources: Guardian Staff & Agency, “Marks & Spencer to Launch Clothing Repair and Alterations Service,” The Guardian, June 29, 2024; Liv McMahon, “M&S to Launch Clothing Repairs Service,” BBC News, June 28, 2024; ESG News, “Marks and Spencer, SOJO Launch Clothing Repair Service to Give Quality Clothes ‘Another Life’ Through Plan A,” July 4, 2024; Rachel Douglass, “Marks & Spencer Launches Clothing Repair Service with Sojo,” Fashion United, June 28, 2024.