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What's new at M&S?

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Not quite enough, thinks Andy Howard MW. But he still finds 15 wines to recommend, many of them great value.

Trading in the UK retail market is never easy but, with the effects of the pandemic, the past 18 months have been even more challenging than usual. Some high-profile, long-established names (department store Debenhams, for example) have gone to the wall and the venerable Marks & Spencer was felt to be another likely failure, as an old-fashioned company unable to adapt to changes in consumers’ buying habits.

In November 2020, the company announced its first loss since going public 94...