Marks & Spencer prepares for promotional showdown with Debenhams

Published: 18 November 2008 16:51 Author: George MacDonald from retail-week.com

The battle for Christmas offers retail market share is heating up

Marks & Spencer will launch a high-profile 20 per cent off promotion on Thursday as retailers compete more aggressively for share of Christmas spend.
Debenhams began a "three-day spectacular" on Wednesday, promising more than £200 million of price cuts.

As revealed exclusively by Retail-Week.com on Tuesday, Marks & Spencer intends to retaliate with an event of its own tomorrow, offering 20 per cent off - its biggest pre-Christmas promotion for four years.

The move will potentially ignite a bloody high street trading war ahead of what is likely to be the toughest Christmas retailers have faced in a generation.

A Marks & Spencer spokeswoman declined to comment on promotional plans.

However, when he unveiled interim results earlier this month, Marks & Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose said he would watch developments on the high street closely and act appropriately to ensure the retailer was among the Christmas winners.