A move away from the recent high street obsession with Primark-priced clothes would benefit the solidly middle-market M&S, and the mood at yesterday's event was buoyant. This was helped, no doubt, by the recent arrival of cold weather: chief executive Stuart Rose may have famously said that "weather is for wimps", but retailers dread a warm November, which is bad news for coat sales. <p></p>The resurgent M&S has its sights set on taking customers away from Gap, which Bostock cited as a competitor in the smart-casual market in which M&S recently launched the Autograph Weekend brand. <p></p>Autograph Weekend features smart cashmere and chic trenches designed to broaden the M&S customer base beyond what Bostock calls "the linen heartlands". As well as Gap, Bostock now aims to "tug customers away" from Next in the hard-fought childrenswear market. She pointed to strong sales among newborn and toddler clothes this year as evidence that an improved childrenswear offering is winning over new parents.<p></p>

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