Publications

May 1975 (Revised October 1985)
Case

Marks and Spencer Ltd.

This business policy and retailing strategy case focuses on the unique corporate strategy and philosophy of a leading English retailer. Emphasizes expansion plans. View Details

Keywords: Learning; Policy; Management; Corporate Strategy; Expansion; Retail Industry

August 1991 (Revised December 1994)
Supplement

Marks and Spencer Ltd. (C)

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery

Describes post-acquisition activity in Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarkets from 1988 to 1991. View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

March 1991 (Revised December 1994)
Case

Marks and Spencer Ltd. (B)

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery

Describes the firm's 1988 expansion into the United States through the acquisition of Brooks Brothers, a specialty up-market men's clothing chain and Kings Super Markets, a high quality New Jersey grocer. View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Expansion; Business Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Globalization; Retail Industry; United States

November 1995
Teaching Note

Marks & Spencer Go Global TN

Teaching Note for (1-395-524). View Details

Keywords: Management

January 2012 (Revised September 2015)
Case

Tough Decisions at Marks and Spencer

By: George Serafeim

In 2007, under the leadership of CEO Stuart Rose, the iconic British retailer Marks and Spencer, with great fanfare, announced its "Plan A" initiative. Based on the five essential pillars of climate change, waste, sustainable materials, fair partnership, and health,... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Corporate Strategy; Retail Industry

December 2022
Case

The Magic of Marks & Spencer Food

By: David E. Bell, Natalie Kindred and Damien McLoughlin

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Food; Consumer Behavior; Product Development; Competition; Price; Inflation and Deflation; Trends; Growth and Development; Strategy; Retail Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United Kingdom

December 1992 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Marks and Spencer P.L.C.: Food Leadership in the 1990s

By: Ray A. Goldberg

Keywords: Food; Food and Beverage Industry

2007
Other Teaching and Training Material

Interview with Stuart Rose, CEO, Marks & Spencer

Keywords: Leadership

June 1991 (Revised January 1996)
Teaching Note

Marks and Spencer Ltd. (A), (B), and (C), Teaching Note

By: David J. Collis

Teaching Note for (9-391-089), (9-391-090), and (9-792-007). View Details

Keywords: Retail Industry; United Kingdom; Europe; Canada

January 2009
Case

Marks and Spencer: Plan A

By: David E. Bell, Nitin Sanghavi and Laura Winig

Marks & Spencer initiated a comprehensive approach to sustainability (reduction of waste, carbon emissions, fair trade) called Plan A. Does it offer a competitive advantage? View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Strategic Planning; Environmental Sustainability; Competitive Advantage; Retail Industry

June 1995
Supplement

Marks & Spencer p.l.c.: The Challenges of Complexity-- An Interview with Sir Richard Greenbury, Videotape

By: Joseph L. Bower and Sonja Ellingson

September 1994
Case

Marks & Spencer: Sir Richard Greenbury's Quiet Revolution

By: Joseph L. Bower and John B. Matthews Jr.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is one of the world's greatest companies. In 1994, its management was chosen the most admired in Europe by 637 peers. The case explores how Sir Richard Greenbury, appointed the new chairman of the company in 1991, transformed his inheritance into... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Business or Company Management; Business Strategy; Management Teams; Global Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Europe; United States

April 2004
Case

Marks & Spencer: The Phoenix Rises - A Multimedia Case Study

Enables students to interactively research the steps Marks & Spencer's top executives took to restore prosperity and explore in depth the major issues remaining. The perspective is that of Luc Vandevelde, who arrived at the venerable U.K. retailer in 2001, and that of... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Corporate Strategy; Management Teams; Retail Industry; United Kingdom

December 2013 (Revised July 2015)
Case

VP Group: Vegpro Grows Beyond Kenya

By: Jose Alvarez and Natalie Kindred

In 2013, Kenyan horticulture producer and exporter VP Group is weighing potential expansion opportunities against the growing risks in its production and export markets. With $121 million in 2012 revenues, VP Group has grown rapidly in recent years by expanding its... View Details

October 1997 (Revised June 1998)
Case

Woolworths South Africa

By: David B. Yoffie and Anthony St. George

Woolworths South Africa is one of the most successful retail chains in the country, modeled on Marks and Spencer of the United Kingdom. This case focuses on the sources of Woolworth's competitive advantage within South Africa and the challenges of growth in the wake of... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Growth Management; Global Strategy; Industry Structures; Marketing Strategy; Strategy; Business or Company Management; Retail Industry; South Africa

May 2024
Case

SofMedica Group: Managing Growth

By: Boris Groysberg and Sarah L. Abbott

SofMedica Group had expanded from its origins as a medical equipment distributor in Romania to a holding company with four business lines operating in six countries. This expansion had been driven by SofMedica’s mission: to make cutting edge medical technology... View Details

Person Page

List of Videos by Professor Bower