Leaderboard

Marks & Spencer has grand ambitions in the Indian market – we speak 
to the man in charge of their expansion

Name Mark Ashman
Position Chief Executive
Organisation Marks & Spencer Reliance

Is a joint venture a necessity when entering a foreign market?
For the majority of foreign markets a joint venture isn’t a necessity. However, Indian regulations for foreign retailers mean that we need a local 
partner to operate.

Our joint venture with our partner Reliance means we have an increased level of involvement in the business whilst working with a partner who has significant local experience and expertise. In additional to our joint venture stores, Marks & Spencer also has franchise and wholly owned stores across the world.

Although the Indian market offers numerous opportunities, what are the barriers, if any, that you face?
India offers a lot of opportunities to us, but we must ensure we can find the right kind of real estate and that shopping malls are constructed 
in time without delays. In addition, unfortunately regulations in Delhi mean foreign retailers, including ones like us with joint venture partnerships, aren’t allowed to sell food directly.

How are Gleeds adding operational value 
to the venture?
Gleeds, as appointed property and cost consultants, will help us to manage our new store openings so that we can maintain Marks & Spencer’s international standards and deliver cost efficiencies.

The plan is to open 50 stores within five years – how will you pick the sites?
Our plan is to focus our new store openings on seven major cities, which currently have a combined total population of 72m people. Like all store openings, we’ll look for the best location in terms of footfall, transport links, and customer demand.

What are you doing differently in India 
to the UK?
We’re tailoring our products so that they suit the Indian market. By listening to customer demand we’ve introduced more colours, including 16 colours of men’s polo shirts compared to five in the UK.

We’ve also looked at styles, including pockets on shirts as jackets are rarely worn. By increasing our local sourcing this has enabled us to lower prices, all these changes help us appeal to local tastes.