Can Marks & Spencer’s TikTok star help it ‘dump the frump’?

Marks & Spencer's director of product development, Kathryn Turner, has become an internet sensation after becoming Britain's viral Halloween costume this year. With her breakthrough food creation - Tubby Toast - in 1998, Turner has since taken to social media to showcase the latest M&S Food products. Her TikTok and Instagram profiles have garnered over 280,000 and 320,000 followers respectively, far surpassing the official M&S Food channel's 270,000 followers.

Turner's popularity has shown the power of social media in boosting M&S's product launches, which have led to a 10.7% sales growth in the four weeks to October. According to independent retail analyst Richard Hyman, Turner's online presence has played a significant role in M&S Food's strong performance and market share growth. While Turner's efforts have primarily benefited M&S's food arm, the retailer's clothing and home businesses are still struggling to recover from the cyber attack last year, which cost the company £131 million.

M&S has been pushing to attract a Gen-Z audience and has hired Maddy Evans, former Topshop executive, to help. The retailer celebrated its 100th anniversary in July with a catwalk show at London Fashion Week, signaling its effort to become more fashionable. However, CEO Stuart Machin has assured investors that the company will not stray too far from its core middle-class family customer base.