“Openness, honesty, and professionalism”
“Marks & Spencer and RMC have worked closely together since the Outlet division was established in 2001.
RMC possess a real appreciation for the unique dynamics of outlet retailing and this is one reason why they've successfully recruited over sixty people at managerial-level into our business.
My own involvement with RMC dates back to 2006. I value the personal relationship with the team, but also their openness, honesty, and professionalism to identify the right talent that understands the Marks & Spencer Outlet culture and who can push our business forward in the future.”
Ann Gavin
Head of Human Resources
Marks & Spencer ↗
A Decades-long Partnership
In 2000, Marks and Spencer embarked upon a series of new trading ventures to broaden their offer beyond the main-chain core store format. One of the most successful and enduring initiatives from that time is the Marks and Spencer Outlet division.
The Marks and Spencer Outlet concept offers first-quality M&S products, but discounted by at least 30% from the original selling price. The new stores were a smaller, more compact format, set with Designer Outlet Village destinations, Retail Parks and secondary High Street / Shopping centre locations.
The Marks and Spencer Outlet division was a radical departure from their core High Street operation, featuring a very dynamic and much more fluid merchandise assortment than the main-chain. Consequently, it needed an operational style which reflected the "trader" ethos, and Marks and Spencer decided to seek additional management talent from external as well as internal sources.
Having never previously used an external recruiter, Marks and Spencer Outlet chose to partner with RMC, due, in part, to our wide geographic reach, but also our intimate knowledge and familiarity with the unique dynamics of the Factory / Designer Outlet sector. Our role was to source and identify talented people from leading chain, fashion or department store businesses who could deliver the required standards of operational excellence, work effectively within the Outlet environment, as well as being able to adapt successfully to the unique management ethos and business culture at M&S.
To date, RMC has successfully recruited over 65 store management appointments at Marks and Spencer Outlet, and we continue to enjoy a very productive and mutually rewarding business relationship.