M&S partners with Sojo to officially launch repair service

M&S is having a busy end to the summer. The retail giant has just announced the opening of a standalone fashion store in the UK and also launched a dedicated clothing repair service.

Supported by British fashion-tech repair and alteration expert Sojo, M&S customers can book a repair service through a new online hub called ‘M&S Repaired by Sojo’. It comes as M&S Also introduces a new circular identity – Plan A – “A Different Life” – in all stores, on the website and in the app, bringing together all of the retailer’s circular services in one place.

Customers can choose from a range of bespoke repair services for clothes bought from M&S and book them via a simple online form – from zip replacements to invisible knitwear repairs. Repairs start from just £5. Clothes can be sent in, fixed by Sojo’s in-house repair team and returned direct to the customer’s door within seven to ten days.

The partnership is supported by the £1 million M&S Plan A Accelerator Fund as the retailer “commits to investing in advancing the circular economy”.

The launch follows M&S’s own findings published earlier this year, which found that only 10% of the population feel confident about repairing their own clothes, and 60% of consumers want retailers to offer more services to help them reduce their carbon footprint.

Richard Price, Managing Director of Clothing & Home at M&S, said: “Products of exceptional quality are at the heart of what we do and we want to ensure that all of our clothes are too good to throw away. With the launch of our repair service, we are making it even easier for our customers to give their clothes a second life, whether they use our new repair service or our long-standing clothes recycling programme.”

Josephine Philips, Founder and CEO of Sojo, added: “It has always been one of our core missions to bring clothing repair into the mainstream and extend the life of as many garments as possible. M&S’ decision to launch a repair service with us is an incredibly big step towards that mission. As a brand that has remained a staple in almost every home and wardrobe in the UK, this partnership will bring truly easy, accessible and convenient repairs to the masses.”