How I Helped Bring Stoma-Friendly Underwear to M&S

Working at M&S for 17 years, I’ve seen firsthand how much our brand cares about its customers. But for me, the most meaningful part of my journey here has been the opportunity to turn my personal experience into something that could help others. I’m one of the more than 200,000 people in the UK living with a stoma, and I know what it’s like to struggle to find underwear that not only fits well but also makes you feel confident.

Living with a stoma can be challenging, and unless you go to a specialist brand, it’s often expensive and difficult to find knickers that actually make you feel good. I’ve always known that M&S, as a leader in lingerie, could do something about this. So, when the opportunity arose, I decided to take a leap and pitch the idea of stoma-friendly knickers directly to our CEO, Stuart Machin, through the ‘Straight to Stuart’ programme.

The 'Straight to Stuart' initiative, allows all colleagues to submit their ideas for new products, improvements to store operations and better ways to serve our customers directly to Stuart Machin. Over the past 2 years, more than 16,000 ideas have been submitted by colleagues to improve experiences for colleagues and customers.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was thrilled when Stuart and the team quickly embraced the idea. The next 18 months were a whirlwind of collaboration between our in-house lingerie team, women living with stomas, and the charity Colostomy UK. We worked together to design underwear that would meet the needs of women like me - comfortable, practical, and stylish, with an internal pocket to securely hold a colostomy bag.

The result is something I’m incredibly proud of. M&S is now the first high street retailer to offer stoma knickers, and they’re available online, in my store in Norwich, and at 14 other stores across the country. 

These knickers are more than just underwear - they’re a step toward helping women with stomas feel more confident and included.

When Stuart said, “Every once in a while, you get a really special idea - something that has the potential to not just improve the way we do things at M&S but actually make a difference to people's everyday lives,” I knew that this was one of those ideas. The support I’ve received from my colleagues and from M&S has been overwhelming, and it’s amazing to see how a simple idea can grow into something that truly makes a difference.

If you’re someone who’s passionate about making change and bringing new ideas to life, M&S is the place where you can do that. I’m living proof that your voice can lead to real change, and I can’t wait to see what other ideas my colleagues will bring to the table next.

Learn more about Life at M&S here.