M&S started life in 1884, when the immigrant Michael Marks came to the north of England and managed to secure a stall at Kirkgate Market in Leeds. Having arrived with little money and limited English, he built his success using the slogan “Don’t ask the price, it’s a ’Penny”. Thanks to this simple idea and his hard work, his stall selling simple homewares was soon thriving. To support his growing business, Michael joined forces with Tom Spencer, a cashier from wholesalers Dewhirst. From this partnership, ‘Marks & Spencer’ and its first Penny Bazaar stores were born and the business we all know today began to take shape.
A remarkable story
M&S Archive
From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, to how we shop and how we work, M&S has played a part in British social history.
Based on the University of Leeds campus, the M&S Archive is home to over 72,000 fascinating historical items and enables Marks & Spencer to celebrate its rich heritage for the good of the business, its customers and the wider community.