Marks & Spencer has been named the UK’s most trustworthy retailer for 2025, according to a new study by GlobalData. This achievement comes despite a significant cyberattack earlier in the year that disrupted services. The retailer’s strong domestic brand identity and the unique appeal of its own-brand products are cited as key factors in maintaining customer confidence.
Key Takeaways
- Marks & Spencer leads the UK’s most trusted retailers list for 2025.
- John Lewis & Partners, Tesco, Amazon, and Sainsbury’s complete the top five.
- Heritage British brands benefit from familiarity and perceived accountability.
- M&S’s own-brand products were difficult for shoppers to replace during the outage.
- Restoring services and offering discounts bolstered M&S’s reliability and value proposition.
Maintaining Trust Amidst Adversity
Despite a cyberattack that impacted its operations, Marks & Spencer has secured the top position in GlobalData’s 2025 UK retailer trust rankings. The study, which surveyed 2,000 UK respondents in November 2025, found that M&S garnered 19% of the votes, narrowly ahead of John Lewis & Partners at 18%. Tesco and Amazon followed with 16% each, while Sainsbury’s secured 11%.
GlobalData attributes M&S’s success to its strong domestic brand identity, which fosters familiarity and a perception of accountability among UK shoppers. This was particularly evident during the cyberattack, as shoppers struggled to find comparable alternatives to M&S’s distinctive own-brand ranges, reinforcing the perception that these products are hard to replace.
Factors Driving Consumer Trust
The research highlights that consistent quality and clear value for money are the primary drivers of consumer trust. High-quality products were cited by 84% of respondents as most important, followed closely by value for money at 81%. Customer service and price promises on products were also significant factors, each receiving 74% of mentions, with consistency across stores and online rounding out the top five at 73%.
Aliyah Siddika, Associate Retail Analyst at GlobalData, commented on the findings: "Marks & Spencer’s narrow lead in consumer trust over John Lewis & Partners is not guaranteed to remain in 2026." She noted that John Lewis & Partners, with its revived ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ promise, has the infrastructure to communicate its value proposition more effectively, potentially allowing it to overtake M&S in the future.
Future Outlook and Recommendations
To maintain its leading position, M&S is advised to continue investing in cyber resilience and to consistently promote its unique, quality-focused own-brand offerings. The retailer’s swift action in restoring services and providing discounts post-cyberattack further solidified its reliability and value proposition. GlobalData suggests that retailers must translate quality and value into clear, customer-facing signals, offering distinctive own-brand ranges that are perceived as irreplaceable. Shoppers also respond positively to credible value cues, such as those offered by Tesco’s Finest range combined with Clubcard Prices.
Sources
- M&S Tops List Of UK’s Most Trusted Retailers Of 2025 Despite Cyberattack: GlobalData, ESM Magazine.
- Marks & Spencer judged most trustworthy retailer in the UK despite crippling cyberattack, says GlobalData, Retail Times.
- M&S named most trustworthy retailer in UK, Drapers.
- M&S tops list of most trustworthy UK retailers despite crippling cyber attack, TheIndustry.fashion.
