Marks & Spencer is selling Ann Summers crotchless knickers on its website as part of its brands at M&S push. The listing sits alongside Ann Summers bras and chemises, and comes as the retailer broadens its underwear offer beyond its core styles.
People under 30 made up a third of Marks & Spencer underwear sales in 2024, double the share in 2023. Catherine Shuttleworth of Savvy said the move was part of a wider strategy, adding that M&S has started introducing brands to bring them into sectors that probably isn’t their core.
Catherine Shuttleworth on M&S
Shuttleworth said, “They are always innovating for every stage of your life.” She also said, “And I think this is a gap in their category. Ann Summers is a byword for sex, isn’t it?”
She said, “It doesn’t really matter whether they sell any crotchless pants or not, we’re all going to be talking about it.” She added, “You might also go online to look. You might not buy those, but you’ll think: ‘I could do with replacing my pants.’”
Lorraine Topper and M&S sales
Lorraine Topper, a researcher at The Underpinnings Museum, said the reaction to the crotchless knickers is disproportionate. Her view sits against the wider picture of Marks & Spencer’s underwear business, where the No 1 bestseller on the website is a five-pack of white full briefs.
The retailer has sold underwear since the 1920s, fitted bras since 1947, and was the first retailer to sell pre-shrunk cotton underwear in 1965. By 1976, knickers were its biggest export and nearly 4m pairs were sold internationally every year.
Brands at M&S online
In 2016, Marks & Spencer sold 60m pairs of knickers a year, and Brazilian knickers made up 10% of sales. By 2021, thongs were back in popularity thanks to low rise jeans, and the range also included full-brief knickers and period knickers, along with knickers that can be used by women who wear stomas.
Marks & Spencer said its “brands at M&S” strategy is about giving customers greater choice through carefully selected third-party brands that complement its existing offer. The company said Ann Summers is one of the latest brands to join M&S online, helping broaden its underwear and nightwear offer.
That leaves one open question for shoppers: how many Ann Summers products are currently listed on the M&S website?
