At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead market response strategies to boost sales and customer engagement.
- Company: Join M&S, a dynamic leader in retail innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, competitive holidays, and wellness support.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive team driving change in a fast-paced environment.
- Why this job: Shape the future of retail while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in retail operations and strong analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 70000 £ per year.
We are looking for a commercially focused Performance and Market Response Lead to protect and grow sales, customers, and market share across our retail estate. This role is central to shaping how M&S identifies, prioritises, and responds to market dynamics—translating insight into targeted, high impact actions that strengthen performance in key locations. Working at the heart of Store Launch and Central Store Operations, you will enable the business to anticipate risk, act at pace, and deliver consistent, scalable responses that drive commercial impact.
What You’ll Do
- Lead the end to end market response strategy, building a forward looking view of competitor activity, risks, and opportunities across the estate.
- Assess and prioritise locations based on sales impact, customer behaviour, and commercial value, ensuring focus on the highest return interventions.
- Own and deliver targeted performance improvement plans, translating insight into practical, store level actions across trading, customer experience, and marketing.
- Act as a central connector across Property, Trading, Marketing, and Operations to ensure aligned, timely, and high impact responses.
- Establish robust MI, reporting, and governance frameworks to track performance, measure outcomes, and continuously improve capability.
Who You Will Be
- An experienced retail professional with strong knowledge of store operations, performance, and local market dynamics.
- Highly analytical, able to translate complex data into clear, actionable priorities.
- Commercially driven, with a track record of protecting and growing sales performance.
- A confident influencer, able to align and challenge senior stakeholders across multiple functions.
- Resilient and adaptable, comfortable operating at pace in a complex, evolving environment.
What You Will Bring
- Strong experience in retail, store operations, commercial performance, or estate strategy.
- Proven ability to turn market insight into action at scale across multiple locations.
- Deep understanding of customer behaviour, competitor activity, and drivers of store performance.
- Advanced analytical capability, including forecasting, performance tracking, and data led decision making.
- Ability to influence cross functional teams and manage multiple priorities in a fast paced environment.
What’s in it for you
Being a part of M&S is exactly that - playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, wherever and however they want to shop with us. Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special:
- 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days.
- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
- Industry-leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
- A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you’re passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
Everyone’s welcome
We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
Lead with purpose. Own the outcomes. Raise the bar. This is your store. And your chance to shape the future of M&S. Are you ready for it? Take Your Marks and apply today.
Performance & Market Response Lead in London employer: Marks and Spencer
Marks & Spencer is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, empowering employees to make a meaningful impact in the retail sector. With a strong focus on personal development, competitive benefits including a generous pension scheme, and a commitment to employee wellbeing, M&S provides a supportive environment where you can thrive. Join us in shaping the future of retail while enjoying perks like a 20% discount and flexible working options in a company that values innovation and collaboration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Performance & Market Response Lead in London
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like Marks and Spencer, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like Marks and Spencer!
We think you need these skills to ace Performance & Market Response Lead in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Marks and Spencer, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Marks and Spencer and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Marks and Spencer that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks and Spencer
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
