Marks & Spencer has scrapped its Sparks Delivery Pass for new customers and will not allow existing members to renew once their current subscription expires, marking a notable shift in how the retailer is using loyalty to support its online business.

The £25-a-year trial service offered unlimited next-day and nominated-day delivery on eligible clothing, beauty and home orders placed via the M&S app and website, with no minimum spend.

While current pass holders can continue using the service until expiry, the benefit is now effectively being phased out.

M&S has offered little by way of detailed explanation, saying only that it is “constantly reviewing” its perks and benefits and that the product is no longer available to buy or renew.

For customers, the move removes a convenience-led perk that helped offset delivery costs at a time when online shopping habits remain firmly embedded.

For retailers, however, the decision could be seen as a margin-led reset than a simple loyalty tweak.

Free or discounted delivery has long been used as a lever to drive frequency and reduce friction online, but it is also one of the most expensive benefits for retailers to maintain.

In pulling back from Delivery Pass, M&S appears to be signalling that broad-based fulfilment incentives are becoming harder to justify unless they deliver a clear return in spend, retention or profitability.

Sparks has increasingly been positioned as a strategic loyalty tool, not just a reward scheme.

Rather than relying on blanket perks, M&S has spent recent years pushing the programme towards more personalised offers, app engagement and data-led customer targeting.

Seen through that lens, the removal of Delivery Pass suggests M&S is becoming more disciplined about where loyalty investment goes.

Delivery may help drive repeat purchasing, but it can also train customers to expect a costly service benefit that does little to deepen brand engagement beyond convenience.

M&S shoppers have already voiced frustration online, with some saying they were “gutted” or “extremely disappointed” by the decision.

From a retail strategy point of view,  M&S has been sharpening its focus on profitability and operational discipline, and a loyalty perk tied directly to fulfilment costs may no longer fit that direction.

The bigger takeaway is that loyalty is continuing to evolve. Retailers are under growing pressure to make every benefit pay for itself, and the days of offering expensive, one-size-fits-all perks simply to drive sign-ups look increasingly limited.

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