Named Paws & Pals, M&S’s new range comprises 13 lines, including treats and kibble for both cats and dogs.
Made with “100% real ingredients”, the dry food selection is grain-free and contains added vitamins and minerals.
The pet food which has options for cats and dogs, comes in a variety of pack sizes.
| Product | Size | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| M&S Paws & Pals Chicken With Vegetable Bites | 30g | £3.00 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Beef Casserole Bites | 30g | £3.00 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Chicken Dinner Bites | 30g | £3.00 | Adult cat |
| M&S Paws & Pals Fish Supper Bites | 30g | £3.00 | Adult cat |
| M&S Paws & Pals Air Dried Beef Skin | 200g | £6.00 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Air Dried Pigs Ear Strips | 200g | £6.00 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Air Dried Tripe Strips | 150g | £6.00 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Crunchy Beef and Vegetable Bites | 1kg | £11.50 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Crunchy Chicken Dinner Bites | 800g | £11.50 | Adult cat |
| M&S Paws & Pals Crunchy Chicken and Vegetable Bites | 1kg | £11.50 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Crunchy Salmon Bites | 800g | £11.50 | Adult cat |
| M&S Paws & Pals Chicken Meal Topper | 40g | £4.00 | Adult dog |
| M&S Paws & Pals Chicken Meal Topper | 40g | £4.00 | Adult cat |
Ocado listing as of 28.08.2026.
Why pet food?
The launch follows research by Sparks which found 60% of its customers are paying close attention to what’s in their pets’ food, amid rising demand for higher quality recipes.
Main rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s have produced own-brand wet and dry options for some time, while Waitrose also sells its own range of premium pet food products.
The move is one of diversification - a tactic many are deploying in the wake of a competitive market and mega trends. But it also represents another shift from Sparks: to be a one-stop-shop.
Similar moves have been made the retailer, with its Remarksable Value range launched in 2019 and more recent investment to lower prices of family staples.
While M&S was previously targeting a more exclusive audience, its recent activity reflects the tough economic climate. And if it can offer more choice at lower (or at least matched) prices while retaining its high quality, then it’s in for a real winner.
“From an external market perspective, the launch fits M&S’ stated ambition to become more of a ‘shopping list retailer’. Pet food is a recurring-purchase category and an established part of the grocery basket,” says strategy, M&A and transformation consultant Kai-Markus Hock.
“At the same time, owners increasingly expect ingredient transparency, high meat content and functional benefits. M&S can therefore test whether the trust attached to its human-food offer transfers to pet nutrition.”
Why now?
Marks and Spencer has done a brilliant job of making an arguably dated heritage brand desirable again - not just across its food but its entire offering. Transforming itself into a store that is attractive not just to an older demographic but a younger one too.
For Lucy Wager, food innovation and product development consultant, the timing of its entry into pet food makes sense: “I think it would have been hard for M&S to justify [entering the market] before now for a couple of reasons. They have worked hard over the last few years to rebuild trust and increase footfall among a younger customer base, which is more inclined towards pet ownership.
“And with pet owners paying more attention to what’s in their pets’ food, this is core M&S territory from a trust perspective. Strategically, it also means these customers do not need to go elsewhere.”
Circana senior insight director Alex Lawrence believes M&S is targeting new markets because it has greater opportunities to gain market share in emerging categories than in grocery, where it is already an established player.
“For M&S it is likely easier to grow share in a new market than grow its share of grocery,” he notes.
“Pet food is seeing price growth through mix, so there is limited trade down, which will make the market more attractive to M&S, but only time will tell if they can win in a space that is fiercely competitive.”
Impact on the sector
The launch of pet food at M&S, isn’t likely to have a major impact across the category. But it does speak to a broader, emerging concern within the sector, which has been rocked by several scandals of late. The most recent being Years’ recall of its fresh meal products over fears they may cause sight loss in dogs.
As such, and in keeping with a broader health push across the industry, pet owners are becoming better informed and more demanding in terms of the quality and health credentials they expect from the pet food they buy.
M&S Food will no doubt be hoping to use the vast amount of trust it has built up with the British public to help drive the success of its tentative first steps in the market.
“The launch reinforces the humanisation and premiumisation of pet food, as well as the growing role of retailer own-label,” Hock adds.
“A 13-product range will not reshape the category overnight. For M&S, the key test is whether it can increase basket relevance among existing shoppers and transfer its food-quality credentials into pet nutrition. If successful, the range can be broadened over time.”
The long-term view
This launch appears to be something of a trial run for the retailer, which is looking to gauge public appetite through this limited initial offering.
Its direct competitors, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, for example, have much more extensive ranges, but these are largely marketed as budget alternatives to major brands such as Purina and Sheba.
M&S Food may instead look to target Waitrose’s extensive premium offering, which has been carefully developed and curated since its launch in 2014.
However, if it wants to compete meaningfully in the category over the longer term, the introduction of a wet pet food range will be essential. It may also be prudent for the retailer to expand into more focused categories such as specific breeds and targeted nutrition in the future - key areas pet owners will be looking for as the humanisation of pet food maintains momentum.
Will people actually buy it?
Naturally, the key to this new range’s success will be whether people buy it. That is the simple reality.
Although M&S Food’s inaugural pet offering is far from extensive and somewhat lacking in variety, it leans into the premiumisation of the sector with its sleek design and focuses on the purity of its ingredients.
With its recipes listed as grain-free, featuring 100% natural ingredients and a high meat content, and developed in-house by chefs with added vitamins and minerals to support pet wellbeing, the retailer’s new kibble and treats certainly appear to tick a lot of boxes.
However, the range also takes a notably pared-back approach, which some might even describe as ‘no-frills’, a phrase not commonly associated with M&S.
Giving a favourable assessment of the new range, Hock believes it could perform well.
“Premium does not necessarily mean fresh,” he explains. “High meat content, grain-free formulations, functional ingredients, freeze-dried coatings and air-dried treats are also established premium cues. Fresh offers differentiation, but brings greater production, cold-chain and waste complexity.
“M&S does not need to outperform specialist fresh-food brands; it needs a credible, palatable and well-priced range capable of persuading some existing customers to switch from established brands.”
The real litmus test will be the extent to which both the general public and M&S Food’s core customer base embrace Paws & Pals over the coming months. Should sales prove encouraging, a broader and more diverse product range could quickly follow.
However, as Circana’s Lawrence points out, the market is already crowded with established brands and well-developed own-label offerings. Whether M&S can carve out a meaningful niche remains to be seen.
