Marks & Spencer Group PLC is buying a 25% stake in the fashion brand Nobody’s Child for an undisclosed sum.
The investment is part of the retailer’s 'Brands at M&S' strategy, where it partners with other brands through wholesale agreements, collaborations and acquisitions.
Under this strategy, M&S trades with over 30 partners from Sloggi lingerie to Ghost dresses and Clarks school shoes. Nobody’s Child launched on M&S’s online platform in September last year.
Nobody’s Child will continue to operate independently but will be able to use M&S's investment and infrastructure to scale the business, M&S said in a statement.
It said it will benefit from Nobody’s Child’s focus on near-sourcing supply, which it sees as a growth opportunity.
M&S noted that Nobody’s Child has been popular on M&S.com from the outset and continues to drive traffic as the most visited guest brand.
Richard Price, managing director of M&S Clothing & Home, said: “Nobody’s Child was the first brand to launch on M&S.com and has proved incredibly popular with new and existing M&S customers. We will continue to collaboratively develop the offer on our site, whilst now supporting the brand to grow independently as part of the M&S Family.”