What is up with M & S?

It isnt just the quality which is a huge issue but the styles and colours are awful. I really think they have too many ranges which are confusing. As for the Twiggy clothing is she wears those she certainly has lost her fashion sense.

Well, based on the Witney branch M&S are awash with loose gingham and stripped cotton shirts, baggy pants and shapeless skirts in sizes 10 and under or 20 and over. With my 69th birthday approaching fast, most of my fellow customers were wearing clothes similar to the M&S stock and looked considerably older than me. Knitwear seemed to consist of shapeless jackets in fetching shades of beige or that indeterminable shade between beige and cream. I did find one item I liked, but of course it wasn't available in my size.

I saw nothing that could appeal to anyone under 50, although it obviously appealed to those in the store who seemed well over 70.

The stock could, of course, have been selected to match the demographics of Witney, but I think that is unlikely. It is a town with growing estates of small family homes most likely to attract young families.

That's odd, FlicketyB. There's not much of what you describe in my local M&S, doesn't yours have a Per Una section? Nothing beige or baggy in their selection. I'm not defending M&S (far from it!) but it doesn't sound like the same store. It actually sounds more like Bon Marché!

I have heard the media reporting that the M and S range is fine for older women, but they have got it wrong by not being fashionable enough for younger women.

They seem to have got it wrong on both counts! They should make up their minds which market they're going for, instead of trying to have their cake and eat it.

Just read a report listing complaints about M&S from shoppers, which includes one about loud music in their stores. There's no music at all played in ours, which at least proves that policies vary from store to store.

love marks and spencer, everything the staff are so help[ful and polite

Mamie has heard the media reporting that the M&S range is fine for older women.
Really?
Since when do we like to look as if we have altered the curtains into an outfit?
Or wear a white shirt which looks council park worker issue?( With respect for their being.)

Marks used to be famous for quality and cut, maybe they should go in that direction again.
If they do not ask us gransnetters for our opinion it will be to their detriment.
Although they may not have to, since they are probably following every forum.

So, whilst you , M&S ,are reading this, your styling, cut and quality cannot match Tesco at the moment.!!!!!
This comment is not from any old codger. I grew up in the world of textiles and fashion.

mamie
Just re read my post. The "really " is aimed at the media, not you.

the Witney store is quite small. I didnt see any of the separate brands, but then I wasnt looking for them. I find them irritating. If I am looking for a top or a coat I do not want to go to several different locations in the same store just because they have several sub-brands. I never shop in Debenhams because it is too time consuming going from brand boutique to brand boutique to look at one or two items in each one.

The food has always been expensive but WAitrose is just as good and now local in 'Little WAITROSE'.
I find the whole idea of huge clothes shops with millions of the same item such a turn off....... I like vintage OK second life .... but you can get fabulous quality things , be green and support small businesses( often owned by ladies),
or a wonderful charity!! Who wants to put money in the pocket of some vastly overpaid exec at M and S!!
All the huge concerns have ruined so many small towns..... they all look the same , rates are up in the sky ..... small start ups do not stand a chance!
Watch the space...... I think some well known names may fall before long !!

One of the strange things about Marks is that they have such a limited and boring selection of business wear. Loads of women have to wear smart clothes for work, meetings etc.
I went shopping with my mate who specifically needed a whole new work wardrobe. Anything in M and S ? One possible jacket tried on in Per Una was all. Main business wear section completely depressing and dreary. What is wrong with having one fabric and doing a mix and match range for instance with 3/4 skirt and trouser styles and 3/4 nice jackets that suit different figures (and are not boring in the extreme). Why on earth do they not do that kind of thing?

Every time I go in M & S my eyes have glazed over within 5 minutes: far too much stuff, too 'busy', no focus and no clear indicator as to where anything is. Most shoppers are on a quest - i.e. a dress for a wedding, a new pair of trousers for work - yet you have to dart from one side of the store to another to to find them dotted all over the place and, by the end, you probably can't find the first one you saw and now decided that you want to try! Also, it's time the scales fell from their eyes as to what older women want. We don't want elasticated waists, ghastly prints and floaty dresses. We want jewel colours, elegant but snappy designs (with sleeves please!) and, most of all, please can we have small sizes as well as large! A lot of older women are the ones who have kept their figures and work out, so please don't penalise us for that and not have enough 6, 8 and 10s! These used to be called size 8, 10 and 12 anyway in the 60s and 70s.

I used to buy all my office-wear from M&S, because they had plain, well-cut skirts in different lengths, with jackets to match if you wanted, and proper fitted shirts/blouses. That was many years ago - now there is hardly any choice, everything's seasonal, hence the wall to wall florals and dippy-hemmed t-shirts....

Waitrose check-out staff also say'thank you for waiting'.They only have one 'baskets only' checkout and there's always a long queue there.

haven't shopped at M & S since I moved here over 4 yrs ago- not worth going into Bristol for.

That's the nailsea one NOT the portishead one

What is?

it is awful in there at the moment. Those blouses and trousers so boring. my mother always warned me to look at who was buying, or appearing to consider buying the same item in M&S when I was looking at clothes. Lately it was always somebody rather frumpy. Who else would buy there?
On the radio it said their shares were going down.

It is just that I keep hoping. I have bought so many things there in the past and have such nice memories of browsing round pushing a buggy and enjoying a bit of shopping, breaking up a boring day with small children. When I had a bit of money spare I could always find something.

Waitrose! The portishead one won't give me a helper. The nailsea one does and theyre much friendlier.
The manageress at portishead told me there were too many old folks complexes near them so they couldn't give help!

Oh, I see, jeni - lost track of the posts, there.
What a cheek!

My husband wears M and S trousers. He went by himself to buy two new pairs (he is a pain to go clothes shopping for himself so I refuse to go with him now as he wants the same clothes he had years ago!!!) He came home with his usual two pairs of chinos, the tag said they were his size. Neither pair fitted and so we took them back. I think because the clothes are made all over the world sizes are rubbish. Sad really I was always a fan of Marks but it is too "busy" now with too much on show and as was written earlier, all mixed up.
Oh and Tesco now say "thank you for waiting" I think it is hysterical nonsense, it makes me laugh, not at the staff, but whoever thought up the nonsense.

At Asda they say 'Thank you for waiting', 'Are you all right for bags?' and 'Would you like any help packing?' - but they do seem genuinely friendly, unlike some of the checkout operators in our local Tesco.

Just noticed M&S have a half price sale on,I've had a look and I have not seen one thing that I would want to spend my money on, please M&S we want more that T-Shirts and knee length black skirts

DD and I went browsing at our store here on Wednesday and the t-shirts that I wanted to replace where not to be found I have bought the same style for the last couple of years but they are not available now for some reason,they where just plain colours with scooped neck all I found where stripped colours with round necks and they where practically see through the material was so thin.Most of the dresses that I looked at only had no sleeves they where just strappy things so not suitable without a cardigan or jacket,we ended up in JLewis and found a much better selection and the prices where better as well.All we bought in M&S was £10.00 dine in meal for 2.