Marks & Spencer (M&S) is one of the leading retailers with over 85,000 employees across 852 locations. Established in 1884, M&S has built a reputation for quality and customer service. In 2013, M&S launched 'Choices,' a benefits portal for its colleagues. However, by 2018, the company was undergoing significant transformation - like many High Street retailers facing challenging times. This meant uncomfortable levels of change and uncertainty for employees. The team knew that refreshing their benefits strategy wasn't just about technology - it was about making colleagues feel valued and invested in during a period of significant business change.
In May 2018, M&S needed to replace their Choices platform while improving employee experience and delivering business savings. The timing was critical - M&S was mid-transformation, creating significant uncertainty for employees. The relaunch had to help colleagues feel valued. Before approaching suppliers, the team surveyed employees to understand what mattered most. The results were clear: accessibility, simplicity, choice, and flexibility topped the list. The data also revealed which benefits resonated with specific demographics and highlighted barriers for employees in certain locations or roles. M&S needed a provider who could unify everything - employee benefits, wellbeing and recognition - into one accessible, mobile-friendly platform. It had to engage all colleagues with relevant offers and simple navigation. Crucially, M&S wanted control over content and design to keep the platform fresh without excessive cost or hassle.
M&S partnered with Edenred and took a phased approach, launching the new platform - named 'My Choices' in stages. Discounts and wellbeing initiatives went live in January 2019, followed by benefits in February. This staged implementation meant they could test and launch in parallel while still delivering new and exciting offerings. The platform unified discounts, benefits, wellbeing, and recognition in one experience. The team customized solutions for specific segments - Isle of Man employees received a tailored platform matching their location and eligibility. The recent addition of recognition allowed colleagues to celebrate and thank each other without barriers and enabled peer-to-peer and cross-functional recognition. The platform uses single sign-on, so employees' shares and pension accounts could be accessed via the same platform that houses their benefits. Migrating M&S's existing benefits to Edenred’s Engage app also allowed employees to access these benefits year-round, not just during biannual windows.
At Edenred India, we blend innovation, trust, and impact to help organizations unlock value—one reward, one recognition, and one employee at a time.
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