Our leading quality credentials meant that we were well positioned to address customers' desire to trade up, as demonstrated by stronger sales of 'better' and 'best' items such as cashmere knitwear and Autograph boots. Our great value staples continued to drive footfall across our stores and we experienced record sales in both hosiery and sleepwear.
The rising costs of raw materials, cotton in particular, proved challenging during the year. However, we have maintained opening price points wherever possible and remain committed to delivering excellent value across our 'good', 'better' and 'best' price points. Competitive pricing at all levels, combined with continued innovation, quality, durability and fit, helped us grow our market leading share in schoolwear to 16.4%, despite intense competition.
Clothing In November we set out plans to increase the role of the M&S brand so it becomes a brand destination of choice in its own right. We have now completed work on redesigning the core M&S brand into a home of great quality core products at excellent value.
Our aim is to deliver a comprehensive range of the best quality basics on the high street. We are doing this through the introduction of new M&S Woman and M&S Man brand identities, which will be more modern and desirable and deliver more style credibility to the core M&S range. The branding will start to launch in stores from the autumn.
Our sub-brands are real assets but customers told us that we need to develop these sub-brands giving them more distinctive values, turning them from labels to real brands. We have completed work on developing more distinct identities for each of our sub-brands. We used criteria such as demographics and affluence in order to develop clearly identified target groups, brand values and colours. We have made good progress with the recruitment of brand directors and brand managers to work with the buying teams to ensure brand values are consistently applied: from packaging, to in-store presentation and external marketing.
We have delivered more clarity and removed duplication across the sub-brands by exiting Portfolio and transitioning the range to our core M&S brand.
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
