Elizabeth Van Niekerk, Head of Trading for Produce and Floral at M&S Food, gives an inside look at the ongoing transformation of the M&S floral category and our enduring partnership with MM Flowers. This collaboration has driven market share growth and delighted customers, with over a million Valentine’s Day bouquets sold this year.
“Nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like a perfectly arranged bouquet of roses on Valentine’s Day.”
This year, M&S celebrated its most successful Valentine’s yet in floral. More than one million bouquets were sold, specially curated for Valentine’s Day, both in store and online. The record-breaking response reflects the trust our customers place in M&S to help them celebrate life’s most meaningful moments.
At the heart of every exceptional bouquet is a strong partnership. M&S has been working closely with MM Flowers for over 18 years. Founded in 2006 by Phil Whelan, a former M&S buyer, MM Flowers has become our largest floral supplier, delivering cut flowers such as roses, tulips, and exclusive trademarked varieties, including our Peony Rose.
An accountant by background, Phil combined his professional expertise with a passion for flowers, aiming to provide consistent quality to UK retailers. He started with a small team of four at a single site in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, producing a single line of red roses exclusively for M&S. Today, MM Flowers operates five sites across the UK and the Netherlands, sourcing flowers from farms covering over 3,000 hectares.
At M&S, close supplier relationships are the driving force behind creating unique, high-quality products. Over nearly two decades, M&S and MM Flowers have revolutionised the flower market by developing new varieties and using innovative production techniques to ensure every bloom meets exacting standards. We work directly with breeding houses to select and blend seeds, which are nurtured by expert growers before being packed at our Lincolnshire facility.
Customers trust M&S for exceptional quality—from our £25 Freedom Roses, the best-selling floral product this Valentine’s, to our trademarked Peony Rose. We are continuously transforming the floral category to bring more innovation to our customers. Last year, we relaunched M&S Flower Market, introducing a new house style with embossed message cards and elegant box bows, creating the perfect gift experience both online and in store. Since the relaunch, M&S has grown its market share in flowers and plants from 16.3% to 17.1%*.
As we aim to double the size of the Food business, innovation in trusted areas such as floral presents a brilliant opportunity to reach new customers. We continue to modernise while protecting the magic of M&S—from celebrity collaborations with Katherine Jenkins, Kelly Hoppen, and Dame Joan Collins, who create signature styles, to our pop-up florists at the renewed Cribbs Causeway store, where customers can design their own bouquets.
Our transformation is ongoing, and we have exciting plans to further develop our long-term partnership with MM Flowers. Together, we aim to expand the ways customers can experience M&S flowers and introduce new, exclusive innovations for years to come.