MKS0901016 Agriculture 09 A5 AW:: 30/4/09 10:18 Page 3
In the beginning…
In 1884 Michael Marks opened his first stall in
Leeds market and this year, at Marks & Spencer,
we are proud to celebrate our 125 year
anniversary as one of the most loved
retailers in the UK. As far back as the 1920s,
we pioneered new standards in the high street
food industry, when food joined textiles on
the shelves of M&S. Because of this unique
combination of good quality food and clothing,
Michael’s son, Simon Marks, was considered
by many to be one of the leading forces in
retail of his generation. But his foresight went
even further, as he also made staff welfare
his responsibility about eighty years before
corporate social responsibility became a
business buzzword. Today, we are building on
this tradition through our Plan A commitments
to the environment, community, ethical working
practices and our extensive charity work, which
you can find more about over the next few
pages. We hope it will give you lots of food
for thought.