Marks & Spencer has launched a 148-piece Ann Summers lingerie capsule collection online and in selected stores, including crotchless thongs, bodysuits and tights. The move is notable because M&S is widely associated with mainstream, family-oriented underwear, prompting debate over whether the retailer is shifting its brand image to appeal to younger shoppers.

The floral lace crotchless thongs cost £20 for three and come in sizes 6 to 16, while a red-and-black bodysuit costs £26 and tights £12; searching “crotchless” on M&S’s website returns 19 products. M&S holds 34% of the women’s lingerie market and sells about 60 million pairs of knickers annually, with sales reportedly boosted two years ago by millennial and Gen Z demand; the two brands had previously clashed over an Ann Summers marketing parody in 2011.