Marks & Spencer

Product Development Presentation

Lucy Wager – Product Developer Global Meal Solutions
8th April 2010
Agenda
• Product Development Team & Process
• Taste East Development Case Study
• Thailand & Vietnam
• Production in the Far East
• Product Quality
Product Development Team

Buyer

Marketing & PR Customer Insights unit

Merchandiser

Range Planner

Developer Technologist

Suppliers
Product Development Stage Gate Process

• Gate 1 Range Strategy Brief

• Gate 2 Design Concepts

• Gate 3 Products We Want – Internal presentation of concepts with packaging

• Gate 4 Product Seal – Factory product Beginning and End of life

Assessment & Quality Standards sign off

• Gate 5 Product Lockdown – Specifications signed off ready for Artwork

• Gate 6 LAUNCH – In store at Phase Change

• Gate 7 Post Implementation Review (PIR) – What are our learnings?

Taste East – Development Case Study

• Asian Street food

• Pick n mix style range
• New style of meal solution
• Snack, starter or main meal
• Flexibility for the customer
• Visual impact on shelf
• Freshness & convenience
• Impact on other ranges within M&S – Party food
• Suppliers – New? Far East?
Restaurant Trends in Small Plates
Taste East Product Idea Matrix
Steamed Fried Baked / Grilled Wraps
shitake & chive dumplings chilli salt squid Chicken Puff vietnamese summer rolls
Veg as carrier
- carrot
- mooli
Buns - filled stuffed crab claws Pork belly - cucumber
Fresh pancakes
Leaf wrapping - banana / - rice paper
pandan Veg Samosas spare ribs - crepes
Gyozas Veg tempura scallop skewers lettuce cups
Sui Mai Soft shell crab lamb lolipops  
Spinach chinese leaves
wraps Wontons Brochettes  
Spring rolls
- rice paper
  - Beancurd wraps Koftas  
Skewers
- Teriyaki
- Yakitori
- satay
- tandoori
  Pakodas - vietnamese  
Thai fish cakes / crab
  cakes    
Supplier Briefing – Gate 1
• A collection of small bites from across Asian Street Food – India, China, Singapore,
Vietnam, Thailand, Japan. Small packs to Pick and Mix

•A simply delicious collection full of treats, flavours that tantalise your taste buds for
sharing with friends or family. Informal and formal

•First to market range entirely focussed on Asian snacks and starters. Presented in an
easy to understand format that will encourage trial across the range

•Recipe Collections & Matrix

Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Food Halls
Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Street food
Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Street foods
Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Street foods
Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Restaurants
Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Restaurants
Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Restaurants
Thailand & Vietnam Inspiration – Restaurants
Products in Development – Gate 2
Production in The Far East
• Quality of labour
• Hand skills
• Commitment and pride in work
• Access to raw materials – Quality & Freshness!
• Expertise in the cuisine
• Unique processes – e.g. basket pancake, handmade dim sum
• Factory & Quality standards
Production in Vietnam
Production in Vietnam
Production in Vietnam
Production in Vietnam
Taste East Launch September 2009
• All products launched on time
• Permanent 3 for £5 promotional mechanic
• 2 lines withdrawn due to packaging sealing fault
Taste East Post Implementation Review (PIR)
Reds
•Kebab products not selling as well as rest as range,
kebab? Thigh?
Greens
•Inspirational trip to Thailand and Vietnam
•Face to face supplier briefings with recipe files and
photos from trip with clear ideas of products to take
forward
•Innovative products from range of suppliers
including Cholimex in Vietnam
•Introduced modern ingredients into core Indian
products e.g. Butternut squash and sweet potato and
are amongst best selling lines
•Spurway Foods – Part of Noon but currently under
used, good development e.g. Pakoras & Won Tons
•Won Tons scored 9 at Campden
•Chicken thigh used for first time in this type of
product in Global
•Balanced range – proteins and cuisines

Recommendations
Opportunity for steamed dim sum
Opportunity to target Die Hard Customer further – links through meats, store cupboard ingredients etc
Taste East Range Refresh March 2010
Opportunity for steamed dim sum identified from successful Prawn Sui Mai Sales
Restaurant research to identify benchmark standard
Steamed Prawn Dim Sum
Steamed Vegetable Dim Sum
Vegetable Sui Mai
Product Quality
Quality Attribute Sheets
Weekly Quality Control Panels
Monitoring Customer Complaints
Campden Benchmarking – independent body benchmarking our
products against the high street

Vegetable Sui Mai 709828 Better New Lines 9.0

Steamed Prawn Dim
709842 New Lines 9.0
Sum Better
Prawn Baguette
709859 New Lines 8.0
Toast Better
Any Questions?