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

I won’t be able to shop in M&S for the next month or so, but I will watch the development if info on this thread with interest.

updated 18 march
Ukrainian MPs yesterday blasted Marks & Spencer for allowing its franchise stores to continue operating in Russia.

The politicians claimed that ‘every rouble’ the British company makes in Moscow is helping to fund Vladimir Putin’s deadly war machine.

M&S has 48 shops in Russia which are operated by FiBa, a franchise business in Turkey.

It has suspended shipments to FiBA’s Russian business but the stores remain open.

maddyone

Me too GG. Especially since our local Waitrose closed I’ve shopped more than ever in M+S for food. There are things I can get there that I can’t get elsewhere. I do go to Sainsburys for a big shop, but I visit our local M+S more than ever.

Same here no way would I stop shopping in M&S .
I really don't think M&S would be that stupid they would do everything by the book.

volver

^I didn't suggest it volver it is a quote from Lesia Vasylenko on QT. Check out the link. Those are her words.^

Those are not her words. I checked the link and the few minutes before and after it by watching the actual program.

Perhaps you can educate us all with the mechanism whereby M&S pay taxes in Russia?

She is asked directly by Fiona Bruce about M&S.
She says You can make your own choice. But Every penny spent on anyone that stays in Russia, pays taxes there, is buying bullets that kill Ukrainian children
By all means disbelieve her because it would interfere with your life in some way and you have shares in M&S or some other reason. But allow that a woman from a war torn country has suggested you do one small thing and if you refuse, for whatever reason, and that war is not brought to swift conclusion because the economy of the agressor country collapses, then perhaps you have helped kill children and if you can live with that that's fine.

trisher in your agitation you haven't responded to the point I made in my post at 12.58, where I said about the M&S Russian franchise being owned by a Turkish company.

I'm no expert on international trade/law but have to assume that M&S are legally-bound by their contract with the Turkish company and have to act accordingly.

Do you really think that all those other companies who have publicly declared they're pulling out of Russia are doing this out of concerns for Ukraine? You must know that it's for PR purposes and for long-term gain by 'doing the right thing'. If they had an ounce of decency they'd have pulled out years ago when Russia took over Crimea.

You give the impression that you think you're the only Gran concerned about the this war.

I went for a cuppa before answering, to calm down a bit, and I can see that Riverwalk has answered with pretty much everything that I wanted to say. Thank you Riverwalk.

Its shameful trisher to say that I don't care about killing children because of some mythical financial interest you have magicked up for me in M&S. I will not bow to pressure from people who can't be bothered to find out the truth of things, especially when bowing to that pressure would cause trouble for an organisation that is pretty much doing all it can to do the right thing for Ukraine and for the people that work for it.

trisher to insinuate that posters on GN are fine with children being killed in Ukraine is just beyond words.

(Actually I do have the words and know exactly what order to put them in but it I will not lower myself)

Riverwalk

trisher in your agitation you haven't responded to the point I made in my post at 12.58, where I said about the M&S Russian franchise being owned by a Turkish company.

I'm no expert on international trade/law but have to assume that M&S are legally-bound by their contract with the Turkish company and have to act accordingly.

Do you really think that all those other companies who have publicly declared they're pulling out of Russia are doing this out of concerns for Ukraine? You must know that it's for PR purposes and for long-term gain by 'doing the right thing'. If they had an ounce of decency they'd have pulled out years ago when Russia took over Crimea.

You give the impression that you think you're the only Gran concerned about the this war.

Yes the M&Sfranchise is owned by a Turkish company that operates the shops in Russia and in Ukraine. So forgiveme if I choose to believe the Ukrainian who actually asked this on QT. As people seem to be questioning what she said I posted a link. But it seems to me that even if you think it won't do any good it is worth trying someting to see if it works, as it would cause little difference to your lives really.
As for the killing children I make no apology for passing on the words of a woman fighting for her country.
Incidently she hasn't just targetted M&S and the UK she has tweets aboutthe Euro and European companies trading in Russia. I'll try to post one.
But the question remains
What woud it cost you compared with the good which might result?

I think the Ukrainian minister with such experiences behind her can be forgiven for talking in this emotive way but not everyone else. Why keep bringing children into it?

You're not really paying attention, are you trisher?

What would it cost me? Very little.

What would it cost a company that doesn't operate in Russia any more, if everyone started boycotting it because of they don't understand how franchising works, and because they think they're doing the right thing?

Their company, that's what it would cost. And goodness knows how many jobs. For nothing. Which is what we keep telling you but which you don't seem to understand.

Oh I understand volver I just don't agree with you.To imagine that a few weeks of trading less would totally destroy M&S is stretching the imagination a bit. But a combined effort of people not using companies which trade in Russia might destroy the economy and might even bring down Putin. The war isn't going as he hoped it would.

If the worst came to the worst and M&S folded (highly unlikely) another retailer would take their place. Ukranians won't just lose their jobs.
As for it being for nothing. You don't know that.

M&S don't operate in Russia.

Boycotting them would be an empty act.

Agree with what you like, you're still wrong.

I have just done some research on M & S operating in Russia, like volver has said they do not.

A Turkish company Fiba own the M & S franchises in both Russia and Ukraine (a total of 48 stores).

M & S has not supplied any of these franchises with any M & S products since 03.03.2022.

They cannot close these franchises as they are not theirs to close.

Just because these franchises remain open does not mean that they continue to source and or sell M & S goods.

trisher

Do you know I thought as grandmothers everyone would welcome the chance to do one small thing that would demonstrate their feelings and maybe add to the destruction of the Russian economy. I'm shocked by some of these responses.

Not everyone feels the need to virtue signal on here.

As for M&S, as has been pointed out, the franchise is owned by a Turkish company who are the likely provider of raw products, NOT M&S who have suspended shipments to Russia.

I shall continue to buy their excellent food. I've never once had an issue about use by dates.

While you get in a froth about M&S how about Italy refusing to sell designer handbags to Russia?

The idea that FIBA is in anyway simply the franchise company for M&S should be putout of your mind completely. Yes it holds the franchise and uses the name. It is however a huge conglomerate with interests in many areas. One of which is banking and guess what it aims to be one of the top three banks in Russia www.fibagroup.com/en/fiba-agenda/we-aim-to-be-one-of-the-top-3-banks-in-russia-in-2021
So perhaps the Ukranian MPs who have asked M&S to do something know just a little more about what is really going on than those who simply accept M&S's protests that it's nothing to do with them.
www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/ukrainian-mp-marks-spencer-russia-stores-b988799.html

Tulpia

trisher

Do you know I thought as grandmothers everyone would welcome the chance to do one small thing that would demonstrate their feelings and maybe add to the destruction of the Russian economy. I'm shocked by some of these responses.

Not everyone feels the need to virtue signal on here.

As for M&S, as has been pointed out, the franchise is owned by a Turkish company who are the likely provider of raw products, NOT M&S who have suspended shipments to Russia.

I shall continue to buy their excellent food. I've never once had an issue about use by dates.

While you get in a froth about M&S how about Italy refusing to sell designer handbags to Russia?

I always love people who use the term virtue signal it shows that you've really pricked their conscience and they know you are right but they just want things to go along as they always have.

Virtue signalling just about sums it up.

There’s a lot of it about these days.

That should be Refusing to STOP selling designer handbags to Russia.

trisher

Nice try. I appreciate you're probably embarrassed at being called out. You don't know what anyone on here has done or is doing for Ukraine. I can assure you my conscience is clear.

Why are you so angry towards other posters contributing to this important OP you started trisher. Accusing posters of not caring if children die, suggesting some had their conscience pricked because they know you’re right but want things to continue as they always have.
Up there on the moral high ground is unlikely to bring anyone to your way of thinking

Iam64

Why are you so angry towards other posters contributing to this important OP you started trisher. Accusing posters of not caring if children die, suggesting some had their conscience pricked because they know you’re right but want things to continue as they always have.
Up there on the moral high ground is unlikely to bring anyone to your way of thinking

It's not my job to turn people's way of thinking Iam64 if they won't listen to Ukranians and choose to continue shopping at M&S that's up to them.It is interestig though that people insist they are doing enough for the people of Ukraine but ignore them when they ask for something.
I think it's something do with preferring to think of people as refugees who need assistance than thinking it's a conflict in which they could act.
I don't like it when people swallow whole a company's protests that "there's nothing we can do" or "it's out of our hands". Because when people do act it usually turns out that there is something they can do.

Trisher
It's not my job to turn people's way of thinking.
No it isn’t and you wouldn’t let that happen to you. You made a good point. Others have investigated it and made their own decisions. Do you accept the outcome of their investigations?

Some of us actually have experience of international business trisher and how partnerships with firms in other countries work. Including JVs and franchise deals.

Some just like to have a shout.

No because they have stopped at "who has the franchise?" which doesn't explain all the complicated banking involved. And they have ignored Ukranian MPs who would know about the franchise but possibly have a little more knowledge about the finances involved.

To use a good Scots word....

You're havering.