Do you shop at M&S? Please could you stop?

M&S can't do anything about the shops in Russia because they are franchised and not owned by them. I believe they are trying to withdraw from the franchise agreement.

Burger King are in the same situation.

I think its unfair to blame M&S for this and I won't be stopping shopping there.

Can they not stop supplying the franchises? Or is manufacturing M & S products also a franchised operation in Russia?

Yes I watched question time last night. M&S need to advertise IF in fact they don’t have control of their Russian franchise. We should be supporting Ukraine totally. I’m probably naive but M&S surely can just stop trading there just as many other companies have. The Ukrainian minister spoke very very well.

They could stop supplying they could withdraw support. Burger King have done that although they can't close the restaurants, they have also said that any money made through opratives in Russia will be donated to Ukrainian charities M&S have done nothing.

I wish. We don’t have them here.

I very rarely shop at M&S the last time I was there at the meat counter ensuring the staff cleared the shelves. The meat mostly poultry was well past it’s use by date. Needless to say I wasn’t very popular but they wouldn’t be if they were fined by Food Standards Agency.

edition.cnn.com/2022/03/10/business/burger-king-russia/index.html

I will stay away

My understanding is that they have stopped supplying these shops in Russia.

They have already suspended all shipments to Russia

i do not shop at M&S, or very rarely - and never have.

From the age of about 20 I have always thought that their clothes were designed for people 20 years older than me - and at nearly 80, I have yet to have a reason to change my mind.

Dull, safe and boring

Oldbat1

Yes I watched question time last night. M&S need to advertise IF in fact they don’t have control of their Russian franchise. We should be supporting Ukraine totally. I’m probably naive but M&S surely can just stop trading there just as many other companies have. The Ukrainian minister spoke very very well.

Oldbat1 I thought she was amazing. So young, so calm but passionate. How have Ukraine managed to get such great politicians?

Shipping is not supplying. Goods manufactured under M&S names in other countries (like Turkey) can still be transported by road. In fact I would imagine very few things are manufactured her and shipped across.

I like M+S food.

trisher

Shipping is not supplying. Goods manufactured under M&S names in other countries (like Turkey) can still be transported by road. In fact I would imagine very few things are manufactured her and shipped across.

Yeah, as I said on the other thread.

Shipping goods doesn't always involve ships.

And if things are manufactured in Turkey (of which there is no evidence either way) by a third party then sent to Russia to be sold in a shop that's not owned by M&S. I don't see how the blame for that can be laid at M&S door.

Everyone wants to do we everything we can to help Ukraine. Blaming organisations for things that they can't do anything about is not helpful.

I have no intention of stopping shopping in M and S. There is no reason to do so. As for the comments about dates on food I have never bought anything in my local store which wasn’t absolutely fine. It’s important to read news items thoroughly before jumping to conclusions.

I agree with Volver regarding the M & S franchise operation in Russia.

Maybe they could just stop replacing stock and food when it sells. That way the shops will eventually run out of the most popular items. Or am i stupid to think so simply???

As I understand it, M&S would be breaking the law of their v complicated franchise legal arrangements if they simply ended them now and could end up in the courts.

I’m going there for a free coffee this afternoon - that’ll dent their profits!

SueDonim

As I understand it, M&S would be breaking the law of their v complicated franchise legal arrangements if they simply ended them now and could end up in the courts.

I’m going there for a free coffee this afternoon - that’ll dent their profits!

But other franchises such as Burger King seem to have managed it very well, so are M&S claiming that they somehow have more complicated franchise agreements which are loaded in favour of the franchiser (franchisee?) and not in theirs. Seems a bit unbelievable given the power of M&S.

I don't think its stupid travelsafar.

There is a general misunderstanding of how this business works, I think. M&S have already stopped sending product to the Russia stores, they did that on the 3rd March. And although I don't know for sure, I'm going to guess that a lot of the food product sold in Russia is actually manufactured there, possibly under licence to M&S who will have audited the manufacture at some time in the past.

So M&S can tell other companies to stop using their branding, and whatever, but if the companies don't agree to do it, M&S would have to take legal action against them, and that's not quick.

I think probably most people are aware that M&S don't actually manufacture much themselves, especially food. There's another thread going about a particularly ugly dress being sold by M&S at the moment, which is actually made and marketed by a Norwegian company, and only sold by M&S.

volver

trisher

Shipping is not supplying. Goods manufactured under M&S names in other countries (like Turkey) can still be transported by road. In fact I would imagine very few things are manufactured her and shipped across.

Yeah, as I said on the other thread.

Shipping goods doesn't always involve ships.

And if things are manufactured in Turkey (of which there is no evidence either way) by a third party then sent to Russia to be sold in a shop that's not owned by M&S. I don't see how the blame for that can be laid at M&S door.

Everyone wants to do we everything we can to help Ukraine. Blaming organisations for things that they can't do anything about is not helpful.

If it is being manufactured under the M&S label they can withdraw their permission. They can stop supplying raw materials. They can withdraw all other support over things like marketing etc.

trisher

volver

trisher

Shipping is not supplying. Goods manufactured under M&S names in other countries (like Turkey) can still be transported by road. In fact I would imagine very few things are manufactured her and shipped across.

Yeah, as I said on the other thread.

Shipping goods doesn't always involve ships.

And if things are manufactured in Turkey (of which there is no evidence either way) by a third party then sent to Russia to be sold in a shop that's not owned by M&S. I don't see how the blame for that can be laid at M&S door.

Everyone wants to do we everything we can to help Ukraine. Blaming organisations for things that they can't do anything about is not helpful.

If it is being manufactured under the M&S label they can withdraw their permission. They can stop supplying raw materials. They can withdraw all other support over things like marketing etc.

See my post above.

Again I don't know for sure but I would be astounded if M&S supply anybody's raw materials.