The range features performance footwear including Adidas’ running favourites the Adizero and Ultraboost, alongside stylish athleisure and fitness apparel including Sweaty Betty’s renowned Zero Gravity range, and their award-winning Power leggings, M&S said in a press release.

Following the strategic investment in The Sports Edit last year, in February, M&S launched a dedicated sportswear platform on M&S’ online platform offering customers curation-led product inspiration plus wellness content and in-depth advice. Adidas and Sweaty Betty will bring the total number of third-party sportswear brands available on M&S’ website to 18 and sit alongside HOKA, Girlfriend Collective, and ASICS—as well as M&S’ activewear brand Goodmove—which continues to go from strength to strength, selling over 1.6 million items annually.

As M&S continues to reshape for growth, it is building on the strength of its in–house activewear brand Goodmove—which has proved particularly popular amongst womenswear shoppers—welcoming dynamic sportswear brands which broaden the existing product offer for women.

The sportswear market is estimated to be worth over £4 billion and is expected to continue to grow by 6 per cent between 2023 and 2028. The growing awareness and participation of women in sport has been fuelling demand for sportswear at M&S. During the FIFA Women’s World Cup in August, searches for sportswear on M&S’ website increased by 39 per cent with searches for ‘football’ trebling. Latest insight from M&S’ Family Matters Index highlights that women are increasingly keen to prioritise their physical health and live more healthy lifestyles, therefore M&S is responding to the increased demand online, added the release.

The Sports Edit is part of the wider ‘Brands at M&S strategy'; the online platform has now grown to over 50 third-party brands with sales more than doubled to over £70 million, representing 4.1 per cent of total Clothing & Home sales. The carefully curated approach is driving new customers, frequency, and increased spend, while ensuring that majority of the orders also contain an M&S product. Whilst brand partners have access to over 30 million M&S customers, substantial customer data, and engagement alongside omni channel purchase and return opportunities.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)