Marks & Spencer has been one of Britain’s totemic retailers, a relatively upmarket operation that for at least a generation had a stranglehold, if that is not an inappropriate term, on supply of our undergarments. It has long eschewed brands, preferring to source and shape all its own products – although there is a rumour that in today’s straitened circumstances, M&S is toying with introducing some of the most popular grocery brands.
A year ago I wrote in M&S – hiding its lights under a bushel how frustrating it was for wine lovers to shop at Marks & Spencer...