British retailer Marks & Spencer is making its first physical fashion entry into the United States through a tie-up with Nordstrom, marking a renewed attempt to scale its global presence beyond its home market.
The partnership will see more than 60 womenswear pieces from M&S lines, including Per Una and M&S Collection, sold across 30 Nordstrom stores and on the department store’s e-commerce platform, giving the brand its first in-store fashion exposure in the US.
The move is positioned as a wholesale-led expansion strategy, allowing M&S to plug into Nordstrom’s established customer base rather than investing in standalone retail infrastructure. The US retailer’s “fashion-oriented customer” is seen as a natural fit for M&S’ offer of quality-led, mid-market apparel.
M&S is entering the market with some existing traction, around 51,000 US customers already shop via its online channels annually, but brand awareness remains limited compared to its dominance in the UK.
“This is the moment to grow recognition in the US,” said international managing director Mark Lemming, positioning the launch as part of a broader effort to establish M&S as a “globally trusted brand.”
The US debut comes more than two decades after M&S exited the market following unsuccessful attempts to build a direct retail presence, including its ownership of Brooks Brothers.
Instead of a full-scale return, the company is now leaning on partnerships to test demand and scale gradually. The approach mirrors its earlier US re-entry via food, where it partnered with Target in 2022 to introduce packaged products like Percy Pig sweets.
The Nordstrom deal also aligns with M&S’ wider fashion reset, which includes faster product cycles and tighter, trend-led collections aimed at improving sell-through and relevance in competitive international markets.
For Nordstrom, the collaboration adds another international brand to its assortment as it leans into curated partnerships and exclusive ranges to drive footfall and differentiation.
The launch signals a more measured, partnership-driven international playbook for M&S, one that prioritises brand visibility and operational flexibility over capital-heavy store rollouts as it looks to rebuild its presence in key global markets.
