Marks & Spencer
Nationwide rollout of LED lightboxes for M&S
In 2023, Marks & Spencer (M&S) announced its £480 million investment in bigger, better stores across the UK as part of its store rotation plan. The investment aims to generate thousands of jobs and create a future-ready store estate that offers a seamless shopping experience.
M&S began relocating and renewing stores in 2022, starting with its flagship store in Stevenage. The entire estate, both foodhalls and retail, are designed with customers at heart, helping to make shopping inspirational in store.
M&S’ in-house design team contacted us to create a collection of retail lightboxes for the flagship store. Having worked closely with M&S for years, we were well suited to bring this store to life. Our partnership continues today, with an ongoing rollout across over 400 stores.
M&S required LED lightbox displays ranging from a metre square to 2.5 x 2.5m throughout its clothing, home and food departments. Across the estate, we produced between 10 and 50+ lightboxes per store so that the elevated M&S experience was consistent nationwide.
We made both free-standing and wall-mounted lightboxes, which could be fixed to the store’s current display system or placed as standalone displays. For the shop floor, we used a slimline 90mm free-standing lightbox (VF90) with retail graphics on either side to promote new arrivals.
The large wall-mounted lightboxes had a frame depth of either 65mm or 110mm (VF65 and VF110). At this depth, the lightboxes appear flush on the walls, creating a uniform glow behind the provided fabric graphics. We applied 6000K LED lights across the lightbox frame to produce a cool white colour temperature that allowed the graphics to appear clean, crisp and high-definition.
Given how quickly seasons change, we ensured the lightboxes were simple to update with fresh graphics as new campaigns came in. This no-fuss design allows M&S store assistants to easily switch the graphics without damaging the frame.
Our team worked closely with M&S’ procurement and logistics team to ensure timely delivery of the frames for refurbishments and new store openings. We also installed all the lightboxes onsite to ensure everything came together in line with project deadlines.
M&S’ relocated and renewed stores have exceeded the retailer’s expectations, with sales increasing from the previous year. Our collection of bespoke lightboxes added to the store’s success, allowing the retailer to impress and inspire customers with its eye-catching graphics.
Dan Deakin, Chief Commercial Officer, added, “We are so grateful to continue our partnership with a powerhouse that is Marks & Spencer. The lightboxes align perfectly with M&S’ mission to create better stores that will engage customers every time they come to shop.”
For over 130 years, we’ve had the honour of working with a range of luxury brands and high-street retailers. Our retail lightboxes are a proven success factor, allowing retailers to transform their stores and drive footfall.
If you’re planning for next season, contact our team to find out how we can help.
Image credit: Retail Gazette
