Marks and Spencer (M&S) has launched a baby club for members of its Sparks loyalty scheme.

The move, which could see customers save up to £250 per year, forms part of the retailer’s plans to expand its growth in the baby market.

The club provides parents with the opportunity to form a community through parent and baby meet ups in M&S cafes, with the department store saying the scheme will boost the number of purchases from customers who don’t currently shop other categories in its stores.

Members will receive ten per cent off the entire range of baby grows for 12 months on signing up to the club. The retailer added that customers will also receive personalised offers across beauty, home and food.

The retailer quoted figures from research firm Kantar which estimates the clothing market for babies under the age of two is worth almost £900 million each year. M&S said it already holds a six per cent share in the kidswear market and that the baby category could provide further growth in the category.

Measures such as improving signage and giving the baby category more space in stores has already led to “double digit” sales growth this year, with the company now selling over 1.1 million baby grows every year.

“Our customers trust us for the hand-me-down quality of our kids clothing and with our growing style credentials and a presence in so many communities, there is so much opportunity to grow our market share through appealing to new customers and introducing existing customers to more of what we have to offer,” said Alexandra Dimitriu, director of kidswear at M&S. “As a mum, I’m incredibly excited to be launching M&S’ first baby club - the proposition we’ve created by remaining laser-focused on what baby – and parents - need, when they need it, is something I wish I had access to when I was a member of the 2am club!”

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