M&S

I was in my very big M&S in Holmbush East Sussex! I really don’t know what or who their buyers or designers are? But it’s all so very stale and frumpy?
The fabrics are horrendous. Stocks are creased, knitwear snagged.?
Everything is made in the far east?
There are no staff?
Sizing is totally weird?
Terrible? It won’t be long before we see the demise of M&S on our streets very soon if they carry on as they are this season! 👎😡

I haven't read all of this thread but a big thumbs up for Tesco and Sainsbury clothing. Good selection of childrens clothes and nice quality too, ladies underwear is good although Sainsbury seem to have gone for cheaper quality lately.

I too find an awful lot of items out of stock. So infuriating when it's shown as new in. There seems to be more "Labels" than M & S stuff now. I have never shopped at M & S for high end labels but that seems to be the mainstay now.

M & S has deteriorated, I hardly shop there anymore, quality of the goods is awfull

Why don't they do nighties anymore? I have several old ones, bought years ago and quite good quality, but now it's all pyjamas or very short dark brown horrids.

I bought a pack of five tops from m&S , three of them had holes that just appeared, I took them back and bought almost the same thing from Sainsburys for half the price and much better quality. Sainsburys also do pyjamas AND nightdresses.

And no, I don't have shares in either supermarket!

KatrinaMarina

I find that everything I try to order is out of stock, even things that are “new in”

I’ve found that too very recently. So frustrating! I don’t know why they bother emailing me, when everything I might buy is already out of stock!

No. Everything going fine.

Look online.

I have bought things in Sainsbury this year for the first time ever. Better quality than before and I can find dresses and trousers long enough.

I must be the only one on GN who loves M&S these days ☹️ Except for the underwear, but that's pretty dire everywhere and I've always had a problem with finding bras that fit. The only thing I've had a problem with in M&S was a white dress last year that was constantly out of stock but did eventually come back in.

I still have vouchers from Christmas I have been unable to spend, everytime I see anything I like online is never available in my size or a colour I like.
Who are the lucky ones who buy before they run out of stock, do they get alerts on their phones. I can never time it right.

I've also had the experience of ordering online, having the order accepted, and then being informed the item was out of stock, and my money would be refunded in ten days. That I do find annoying. On the whole, their clothing has improved over the past couple of years. They seem to have dropped some of the ghastly violently coloured items that appear to have been made of nylon, and do have some classic clothes in good fabrics. I've also bought a delivery pass - well worth it.

Caleo

M and S have never produced a line of products aimed especially at short stout women of whom there are a great many as a brief view of any high street reveals.

My friend once asked her son to meet her in M & S. When she complained about him being late he said he’d been wandering round for ages - spotting a specific short, white-haired woman in a busy M & S was like finding Wallie.

I’ve been happy with what’s on offer lately. I think they’ve really upped their game. Maybe it varies from region to region.

Babs03

I still have vouchers from Christmas I have been unable to spend, everytime I see anything I like online is never available in my size or a colour I like.
Who are the lucky ones who buy before they run out of stock, do they get alerts on their phones. I can never time it right.

When there wasn’t anything I wanted I spent my vouchers in the food hall.

I think their stuff is so old fashioned. Find a nice conservative looking skirt, which I think is suitable, turn it round & there is a silly bow hanging, or pleat.
Bought two cotton nightshirts, every time I wash them they shrink on a 40. Husband said they look like baby dolls.

Talking of babydoll, I haven’t seen Marydoll on here for a while. Is she ok?

@Beechnut yes I have used vouchers to buy fancy bits in the food hall, I love their extra chocolatey biscuits.

Hurrah to M & S for their period knickers, which are a godsend and I intend never to buy a packet of liners or Tena again. But why don't M & S market them properly? They can work well for any leakage problem, but once again we older customers are invisible.

I bought a great non slip bath mat at George online (ASDA). M and S used to do petite for shorter women set that the waist was in the right place in their stores as a special corner, they don't do it now. You have to look online. I bought a padded wire free bra but the elastic on it digs into you.

The products look cheap, and the sizing is ridiculously changeable.
From the Guardian:Next week, the retailer is expected to report food sales growth of 7.8% for the last quarter of 2024, but clothing and homeware sales growth of just 0.7

I use M&S for click and collect with absolutely no problem at all. In fact I’ve just been informed by email my parcel is ready to collect two days before it was due. Great service.

Glad they are back functioning, here anyway.

keepingquiet

Look on-line! That's what I got when I last went looking for something in M&S.

I don't do on-line shopping because I could see what was coming down the line a decade ago.

I agree with whoever said Next was better- so I'm shouting out for Next who will check if something you want is in stock if your size/colour isn't on the rail.

Also a bigger sgout out to charity shops- got a beautiful cashmere and wool Windsmoor winter coat a few weeks ago, beautiful silk lining looked like it had never been worn. £8! Win win ker-chiiiing!

Next have brilliant order in service. No trouble to get and take back if not right.

Not so much bothered about other things - but if only they did suitable bras.

When I was younger I used to wear plunge bras and they were always underwired and one of the main aims was for them to look okay even "uncovered" so to say. I don't need padded bras....I've never needed padded bras and that's most of the stock straight out of consideration (as such a high percentage of them are padded).

Is it too much to ask for black, fairly basic style, unpadded and low-cut (ie I still undo the same number of buttons as usual on blouses and don't see why I should do up an extra one or two to what I've decided on just because I don't buy underwired ones any longer - too uncomfortable). I have to only do up a minimum number of buttons for decency and I have to wear v-neck (rather than round neck) jumpers - because I'm short-necked and it does not look good to see only pretty much a few inches of short neck above the neckline on clothes (and hence the minimum number of buttons done up and necklines are v-neck).

Big boobs/short neck does mean = neckline mustn't be too high up = bras have to be pretty plunge and a minimum thickness of material holding the two cups together in the middle.

Dear M & S - I don't WANT granny bras - even though I'm old enough to be a gran even by my standards (the two children would have been in my 30's and then I'd hope they wouldn't have any in turn until their 30's).

Maggieanne

I haven't read all of this thread but a big thumbs up for Tesco and Sainsbury clothing. Good selection of childrens clothes and nice quality too, ladies underwear is good although Sainsbury seem to have gone for cheaper quality lately.

I bought some new pyjamas in Sainsbury's a few weeks ago. I liked that they had pockets and no silly pictures or slogans and both sets have washed beautifully. Very pleased with them.