Here we go again - M&S woes

Icyalittle I emailed a complaint yesterday about late delivery of my goods and added that it might be an idea if they looked on GN to see what people say about them and the poor quality of their clothes. I haven't had a reply yet . . .

Sad, but not surprised....
Can't you sleep either?

I occasionally visit M and S for the food, but can't be bothered to look at the clothes( and I love clothes!) as I know they are going to be poor quality and lack style. I used to buy the odd item from autograph but they are now usually shoddily made and over priced. I did see some silk underwear I quite liked, but the only bra they had was in 32A with matching knickers size 18. It's not worth the effort sorting through the racks.

I have, after living within its orbit (60 miles away) for eight years, located my 'local' M&S. I went in even! It's a nice shop and has a nice cafe and I liked quite a lot of what was for sale. There was plenty of choice.

Woes?

Shrug.

When you live in a village that has a basic shop and nothing else M&S "woes" just don't register on any scale of importance. Yes, I live off the beaten track by choice. It puts things into perspective, I find.

The woes over M&S are rather like the woes many ex-pats mention about Ryanair, yet they continue to use it. It flies passengers all around Europe for remarkably inexpensive prices (if prepared to do some homework), from a variety of airports around France, which facilitates easy travelling. Baggage is kept to a minimum unless you pay for extra - just like any other airline in the world.

It's easy, convenient and gets me to where I want to go with the minimum of fuss.

One could say it is the Lidl of the skies.

Black is all very well for those who can wear black but have some sympathy for those like me who look like a corpse attending their own funeral in black. It is a colour I do not wear other than as trousers/leggings or shoes.

I have been complaining about M&S for about 50 years. I have,very occasionally bought clothes there, more this autumn than for a long time, but there have been decades when there was not a single M&S garment in my wardrobe.

I feel the same about Ryanair, I have never flown it, actively avoid flying it but can accept that an extreme concatenation of events could arise where I did so.

Actually Lidl t-shirts are quite good quality. The colours are a bit vibrant though.
I agree that in the broader sense M and S woes are not that important, but I do think it is sad to see a store that was always known for good quality at a reasonable price go so badly wrong. I simply don't understand why they don't respond to Gransnet or Mumsnet in any meaningful way. I don't understand why they keep bringing in designers to do a re-vamp of the top of the range and pay no attention to the rest. I don't understand why their shops are such a cramped, confusing mess. I don't understand why the patterns and colours are so consistently unflattering.
I tend to have limited time in the UK to buy clothes and I would love to be able to get stuff in M and S, but I normally end up elsewhere. I am over in the UK later this week, down from a size 16 to a 12 and with a bit of money to spend.
Where shall I spend it?

Congratulations on your 'downsizing', Mamie. I'm as confused as you are about M&S, though their elbow-length sleeve Tee-shirts have been my standby for the past two summers. You could try Next for better design. Even in M&S you might find some nuggets among the dross. My Lidl tee-shirts (yellow, turquoise and bright pink) were good for my caravan holiday.

But we are short of time aren't we on Gransnet? So why do we have to sort through the dross for nuggets? My moan over M&S is about a delivery of flowers. Last month and this month I have been sent a n M&S bouquet of roses and freesias. I usually buy a bunch of their roses on their own and on both occasions when I had bought from the shop a couple of days prior to the delivery the shop bought roses out lasted and are indeed outlasting the delivered ones. In fact the freesias have opened but the roses have rotted in the bud. The roses I bought in the shop are still looking good .

Help! I am flying with Ryanair soon, for the very first time, and was very apprehensive. However, there was no alternative from our local airport (apart from more than doubling the shortish journey and having two stopovers!).

the Lidl of the skies. Well, I do use Lidl as well as Waitrose, Tesco et al!

I`ve just been to 2 M&S branches in search of new versions of my old faithful bras. No luck! I think I must be some sort of mutant- my size just isn't anywhere in their various ranges. Masses of padded numbers and odd frilly things but of good old 40D in a straightforward bra no sign. SIGH
Also went to Boots for moisturiser and they didn't have it, waited ages in a phone shop then left after half an hour of not being served.
Only good thing about today`s "shopping" is that it didn't cost anything (apart from an impulse bought crocodile for DGS- was offered a gift receipt but I told her with a piercing look that it was for me. You have to get your laughs where you can!)

I've given up buying M&S bras and found a brand that fits me on the Figleaves web site - far from granny-ish but very comfortable. The trouble with M&S is that you can never get the same style twice. Sainsbury's knickers are good value.

Hope you didn't take the crocodile home on the bus, Jane10!

Be not afraid, rq, once you work out the way Ryanair works you will be fine. Just make sure you print off your boarding pass before you go and that your name corresponds exactly with that on your passport (don't forget it!). There is usually a dash for seats. We just let 'em go and take our time. On-board refreshments are a waste of money unless you're really desperate. Airport security is a necessary pain, I think as I stand there shoes and belt in hand being frisked and fried with rays, but better safe than sorry. Good luck!

Thank you"!
That was one worrying aspect, papa, they won't accept middle names so the name on the ticket is slightly different to the one on the passport.
Going through Bristol who are always jobsworths at security!
I will warn DH not to moan or make a joke about his trousers falling down without his belt....
Can you take your own butties or will they be confiscated?

Rose I've flown to Ireland several times with Ryanair and they're no worse than any other airline.

Just back from a visit to M&S Liverpool with my daughter. I was looking through the trousers for my size and she warned me that the sizes on the hangers were incorrect. I checked and she was right. Quite a lot of them were on the wrong hangers so we had to look for our colour label on the actual garment.

My daughter did pick out a couple of things that I would not have picked out for myself and I am pleased with them. I have a rather smart, casual purple jacket, black trousers and also a dark coloured dressing gown as I keep spilling drops of coffee on my white one when the cat jumps on my knee.

I had a £8 of vouchers from using my M&S card in Asda so, in the end, my bill came down from £85 to £60. Not bad.

I had £100 gift card from. M and S which my son gave me and I spent £70 in the food hall and £30 on a shirt for OH. Nothing I liked in the womenswear. Which is a bit sad. Surely I come into the demographic they should be targeting? (Older, a bit of disposable income, willing to spend on unnecessary clothes etc.....) . This discussion now seems to include Ryanair which I travelled on last week. No problems; on time and now they give you an allocated seat so no rushing to grab seats etc. what's not to like?

Take your own butties rose and also buy a drink AFTER you have been through security. Sometimes in airports if you buy a newspaper you can have a bottle of water free - bargain ! Food and drinks on board are very expensive.

Liz46 I had the same problem today in Staines with things on the wrong hangers. So annoying to have to keep finding hidden labels to check sizes isn't it? Marks used to be so good at that sort of thing. However on a positive note I found some dark linen trousers in my size reduced from £38 to £14 and they took another 10% off at the till. Result!

Rose I've flown to Ireland several times with Ryanair and they're no worse than any other airline.
Anya
Beginning to wonder, though, trying to check in online (extremely frustrating) - why should it cost £40 to sit next to someone who made a booking at the same time, both on the same ticket? I won't tell you what DH was calling them! I thought if I checked in both at the same time the seats would be together, but no, they are 11 rows apart.

I have flown with lots of airlines, more longhaul (and Easyjet who are wonderful in comparison), and haven't come across this before.

Thanks, tiggy I will do that!

A bit off the point, but reading these threads made me remember, many years ago, St Margaret's was a M&S brand, along with St Michael. Does anyone else remember those dresses and blouses with St Margaret on the label? Of course, back in those days M&S goods were made in the UK, and proudly advertised as such. Quality you could depend on. Hmmmm.

No, I don't remember St Margaret's, although I certainly do remember St Michael! (And Ladybird - wonderful quality and good value childrenswear. Was that Woolworth's?)

A bit off the subject but yes Ana, Ladybird was at Woolworths. I remember going to Chester to do some shopping and discovered that Woolworths was having a closing down sale. I bought so many things (including Ladybird clothing for my grand children) that I couldn't go to any more shops and staggered back to the train with all my booty.

I remember St Margaret's - the label in my vests when I was a child.

You can still buy Ladybird childrenswear via the Woolworths online site I think. DGDs wear Ladybird from the online shop.
www.woolworths.co.uk/kids-clothes/ladybird/e/b/12472,4294958353.end