LONDON--British retailer Marks & Spencer is reviewing its regional British PR support, currently handled by Beattie Communications.

M&S senior PR manager Amanda Glover told the Holmes Report that Beattie had been invited to defend its brief, which it extended three years ago to include England and Wales, after handling Scotland for several years.

Glover said that the first stage of the process - "creds and the initial tender" - has been completed, and will now progress to a pitch.

The brief encompasses regional PR support for the retailer's national initiatives, along with local activities such as new store openings and product launches.

"It’s just good practice to regularly review the agency supply," explained Glover.

M&S also works with Tulchan on City PR, while Unity handles specialist creative projects, such as the recent "schwopping" campaign. Neither of these relationships is under review. 

National media, meanwhile, is handled in-house by the retailer's comms team in London.

M&S shares jumped last week based on reports that private equity player CVC is considering a bid for the retail chain. It has previously been reported that a number of bankers are considering M&S as a potential £6bn bid target.

M&S is Britain's largest clothing chain, but recently revealed poor quarterly figures because of a drop in non-food sales. Sluggish results have been blamed on competition from high-end retailers like John Lewis, and budget players such as Primark. 

The company is, however, considered a leader in environmental initiatives, thanks in large part to its 'Plan A' sustainability policy. The company's comms team is led by Dominic Fry, who joined in 2009.