After years of catch up, Marks & Spencer may finally be getting things right

Every so often an invitation would land. Would I like to meet the boss of Marks & Spencer? With what appeared to be monotonous regularity, the name of the host would change.

It was Luc Vandevelde, who talked about putting the UK retailer head-to-head with Ikea and selling furniture and ornaments. There was Roger Holmes who tossed a plastic cube in the air, saying it represented “the values and strategies” of his leadership. It was covered in slogans such as “making aspiration and quality accessible to all”.

Stuart Rose injected some much-needed pizazz on the marketing side but more glamorous advertising did not translate into sustained upward profits. Then came Marc Bolland, who cut clothing ranges for the over 50s without enticing that vital age bracket into his stores.