Marks and Sparks

I am shocked by the decline in M & S assistance; their service was always a byword for excellence in my shopping lifetime. The baton seems to have been picked up by John Lewis, in my personal experience.
Is it because all management trainees have to spend long periods of their training working on the shop floor?
I agree with Washerwoman about the decline of town centres, high streets and shopping malls, but have noticed the regeneration of suburbs, smaller towns and villages. One does need to drive, however; access by bus is complicated and time-consuming. One shop that seems to be vanishing is the chemist selling good quality cosmetics and toiletries, much needed since the demise of the department store.

Sister is just off the phone , we both have M+S vouchers from Christmas ! guess where we are off to . I am a bit doubtful that we will get anything after reading this thread . We are going to Sprucefield and the store there is like a Maze to wander round

Marydoll I'm shocked that you didn't get any help! When I worked in an M&S cafe we were always careful to offer help to anyone who looked as if they needed it, carrying trays, hanging on to children and finding them high chairs and so on. Of course in those days we were a group of people who had worked together for years, every time I go in now there are new people, mainly teenagers who haven't been taught a thing.

Apparently, the Holly Willoughby range is doing well but they have lost the market for basics. The trend is Athleisure, which they do not do very well.
Unfortunately, you have to pay a lot for a good pair of trousers and for that may I recommend Me+Em?
They are expensive and only online outside of London, so have a look at their Sale page
where at the moment you can pick up £179 trousers for about £59.
Alternatively, try making yourself some trousers. Very easy and can be made for about£20.
M&S are in the process of reorganising themselves for the 20th Century. The trouble is, they are despised by the young and the older shoppers are ,as a rule,not big spenders. I still know an 85 year old who thinks £18 for a nightie is extortionate.
Try Ebay for M&S seconds in knickers and nighties if you must!

I was also in yesterday and the rails and rails of sale rubbish hadn't changed from a few weeks ago. No-one seemed to be buying anything.

There is still some good stuff, but you really have to root around for it.
I killed some time in M&S while waiting for a friend yesterday (did find a good, basic polo neck top) and was bemused by so much stuff I wouldn't be seen dead in - horrible colours - or combinations of colours, nasty cheap fabrics, and in particularly, really ghastly buttons, ruining what would have been passable otherwise, E.g. some really cheap looking brassy buttons on an otherwise OK jumper. Why??????

Recently I saw a fluffy pink coat - not my taste but not bad - equally ruined by big, black, dirt cheap looking buttons - cream or another colour would have looked so much better.
I did once buy a nice cardigan which I still wear after several years - but it had ghastly buttons which I changed as soon as I could.
I just don't know what on earth their buyers are thinking of. Sometimes I think they must have contempt for what they think of as the average M&S customer. 'Oh, any old crap will do for them - they don't know any better.'

Marydoll you should have complained. I asked for help as I have M.E. and couldn't wait in the queue as I suddenly felt very weak. . The assistant got a chair and looked after me immediately and someone brought my shopping to the car.

Some of their clothes are very good still, I think. But I bought a sweater which shrank a little recently but not enough to warrant returning. I have written twice to head office complaining about problems with clothing (low stock, sizing, silly styles etc) and offered to give my views. All I got was an acknowledgement email. I am included in new item surveys but they arent very useful.

M & S seem unable to focus on a small number of good items of clothing. The stores are still over flowing with far too many over complicated, frilly, flouncy, floral frocks and tops. Who wears this kind of horror? No one, that's one of the main problems.
They continue to try to seduce young women into shopping there but the designs can't compete with Zara and Primark for example.
The food hall is good value and quality. Bedding, household and furniture also good value and quality. I'll be sad to lose M&S from our high streets but I'm not surprised their clothing ranges don't sell. They're simply dreadful.

I miss BHS jumpers and cardies.

I now buy Straight joggers from M&S, in black, and wear them as my everyday trousers. £12.50. Nothing else suits.

The food is lovely but their liberal use of slithery fabrics in their womenswear lines, is putting people off.

Their bed linen is gorgeous. Tights good too.

Our local M&S is one of the 17 closing.I felt very upset on hearing the news yesterday.For the job losses and the knock on effect on all the other struggling retailers on the high street.For our once thriving and vibrant town centre.
Then I reflected on when I last actually bought anything there ,and my shopping habits.I believe we are entering a new era.Not just online shopping,but generally we've hit peak consumption and councils need a new vision for town centres.Sadly our council is woeful in that respect compared to our two largest neighbouring towns.
The outlying villages near us however are regenerating with independent retailers,lovely cafes and great farm shops.Whilst I'm still driving that's where I shop now.And they do a lovely selection of ready meals For the odd lazy day,and with far less packaging than the M&S food hall.

Don’t get me started on tills in M &S stores! Ok, I will start. Far too few! You have to search high & low to find one, wandering the store with items in your hands. What it must be like for the older Grans amongst us..!? Their sineage is awful. And mirrors. Where are they? And where are the shop assistants to ask? And why do they have to wear black? And the Sparks system that’s too confusing. And finally, don’t you just hate it when the people on the tills call out “can I help?” instead of “Next!”.

The 'biggest Primark in the world' is opening here in Birmingham soon. They have taken over a whole shopping centre, The Pavilions
Not as soon as all that it appears. Due to delays Centenary Square may be shut until Summer 2019 it seems.

Marydoll, that’s shocking. I hope you’re putting a complaint in, for the sake of anyone else struggling in that store.

I rarely even try to shop in M&S clothes section these days. The range is far too wide, the fashion items dreadful as much too over fussy, fancy sleeves that you can't do anything in, patterned frocks that wear you rather than the other way around. I used to buy Autograph for decent classic styles but they've all gone over worked.
M & S need to stop trying to lure the youngsters in. They go to Primark, Zara and Co and the 'young' fashion in M & S misses them by a long way, as do the clothes for older women.
I can buy decent sweaters for the chaps and nickers for me, then nip into the food hall for one of those meals you can almost pretend to have cooked from scratch. That's it. The end.

Just been to my local M&S food hall and the service was awful. I had my walking stick, hands in splints and bags, so I was struggling to carry everything. There were no tills open, and I asked an assistant for help. "You will have to use the self service," she said and walked away as I dropped what I was carrying..
What has happened to good old M&S service?

The 'biggest Primark in the world' is opening here in Birmingham soon. They have taken over a whole shopping centre, The Pavilions, and the whole of it will be Primark. I hope it's better than the one we have now, which is like one big jumble sale.

Ah but Primark got into trouble for using child labour factories in Bangladesh when over 1000 workers died in a fire and though it's been working hard to improve its ethical image, it still isn't as good or as transparent as it should be.
Marks and Spencer on the other hand, is one of the top five most ethical high st shops.

Yes PECS our nearest one is on that list. I'd better spend my Christmas vouchers.

Stood in M & S yesterday, gazed round at the tops and there wasn’t one I would buy. Very few people in the shop. Walked 2 doors down to Primark, it was bustling and I was spoilt for choice for things to buy. I buy most of my clothes in supermarkets cos their style is just right at great prices. M & S....are you reading all this??

17 more M& S stores closing I see on the BBC home news page

M&S has seen a shift in business in recent years and their stock is starting to reflect it. Over the next few years, they're transitioning further away from clothes as it's their food hall that makes them the most money.

Debenhams are good, but also going out of business so will also probably switch to the cheaper fabric products also to save money.

You'd think that they'd cotton on to what customers don't want when they analyse their statistics for items that didn't sell

At a guess, this analysis doesn't happen...

Unfortunately their attitude to consumer opinions reminds me of The Apprentice, where they set up focus groups and take absolutely no notice of what they say..

You'd think that they'd cotton on to what customers don't want when they analyse their statistics for items that didn't sell - or didn't sell at full price. Perhaps they were off sick on the day that was taught at M & S School!