M&S closures

M and S should-
get rid of the Sparks Card
get rid of per una
concentrate on good quality basics in good quality fabrics no acrylic or polyester , take a look at uniqglo - a range of linen shirts in lots of colours, good quality cotton t shirts in lots of colours, a few styles of trouser and jeans, a wide range of age groups shop there.
stop trying to appeal to teenagers- they aren't going to shop there
do online food
get someone else to design the website

They have lost their way so many times over the years that the current news is hardly surprising. I finally gave up on them when I could no longer buy my much loved jeans and also my husband's jeans. Clearly changed supplier but just weren't the same. So I wondered into Next and will now not be returning to M&S apart from their Dine in for £10 deals. M&S just haven't listened to their customers for a very long time and so I'm afraid they're paying the consequence. Sadly it will be the staff who suffer.

I have been waiting for M&S to provide online food shopping. I order from Waitrose and Morrison, but if M&S were online I would order from them.
In regard to clothes, many of us are not exactly slim, and their ranges always sell out of large sizes and they always seem to be designed for Twiggy.

I picked up a black pair of trousers tried them on reasonable fit, in a rush, came out picked up a navy as well, got them home two completely different fits on the same thing, very reluctant to buy on line. I like natural fabrics and buy a lot of Sealsalt or Monsoon tops and dresses for the Summer. There is so much choice now, very nice check blouse from Primark the other day £6.99 I think will last the season and some I bet.

Back in the 1980s I worked in a city near to one of their flagship stores. I could pretty much dress myself entirely from M&S; from underwear to smart work suits, summer dresses to make-up, scarfs and leather belts, even some of their costume jewellery! They really were fantastic for me back then. Nowadays - not so much.

But, I do still buy from M&S, like others here I find their cotton t-shirts good, with a good range of colours and necklines. And I don't think I've bought my knickers from anywhere else in decades.

But - and I can see I am part of the problem - I usually buy online. I live quite near a medium-sized store, and I do wander in and have a look from time to time; but rather than go hunting through the racks to see if they have the particular item in stock, in my size, in the colour I want - I order it online to be delivered to the store, where I go to collect it next day.

They were talking about this on Radio 4 (Mary Portas was being asked for her opinion) and apparently 20% of sales are now online. But I wonder how many of those sales are like mine, prompted by something I've seen in-store but ordered online? If I didn't have an in-store to visit, would I be prompted to order? Possibly not. So if they close stores, might some of their online sales just not happen?

I used to like M and S far more, but some of the clothes are terrible now and when they turn up on the reduced rail you can see why. I think they diversified too much, books, toys etc. instead of concentrating on good garment design and classics, which they used to do so well.

When I'm in Gibraltar I always make a beeline for the Marks there. It's an Aladins cave of goodies.

The Stevenage M & S closed some time ago. The quality of their products had gone so far downhill that I really wasn't surprised. What I find more surprising is that they are still trading when they are still presumably selling such rubbish. Maybe it's a regional thing.

I think you should send that picture to M and S grannybuy. Sorry but I did have to laugh. I agree the clothes are very odd sizes, not sure where they are getting them made. Everything is too cheap an materials are poor quality

They (the M & S management) have only themselves to blame.

There have been SO many comments from their customers over the years, in the press, all ignored.

I feel sorry for the staff though, there must be job losses and not their fault.

I have shopped at M&S for years and used to be literally "spoilt for choice" when shopping for clothes there many years ago. That no longer applies.

Don't know who they employ as "buyers" but they need to "let them go", then identify their target market and stop trying to be everything to everyone - which so obviously does not work!

When I do buy anything from M&S, sometimes it is in-store and at other times online. In fact my last purchase could only be bought online!

Hope they can get their act together and return to selling good quality clothes at sensible prices.

They haven’t got a clue and don’t listen to their customers.

I'm surprised by all the negative comments about M&S. Since moving to France 5 years ago I always make a bee line for M&S when I return to the UK and find perfectly fitting cotton trousers, shorts, shoes and underwear. I'm 70, size 10 and dress fashionably. Perhaps the M&S stores in central London have a better range? I have never shopped in Primark or Tescos etc for clothes. The food range is superb (although nothing compares to shopping in a french market!).

I agree with everyone's comments. M & S has always been my go-to store for clothes, for both quality and fit, not to mention easy returns, but I struggle to find anything I want these days. I too, am a shorty - only 5 ft, and their shorter length trousers used to be the right length, but about 5 years ago they suddenly got longer, and I would still have to shorten by several inches if I purchased them.
I get almost weekly offers on my Sparks card, but rarely find anything to buy, not for want of trying!
Fabric quality has gone down, styles are either ridiculous or boring, so no wonder they are in trouble.
Per Una needs to go - all those frills and furbelows have had their day, younger buyers certainly don't want them, and the Autograph range isn't very inspiring either. (Years ago, they had an Autograph Weekend range, with a more casual slant, in lovely fabrics, but that was discontinued - I still have a few tops from that range).
They need to accept that the younger generation isn't interested, and aim for an older clientele who are looking for good tailoring, better fabrics, and competitive prices.

M & S has only recently come to our town so therefore I have never been an avid shopper of their goods.
However in the past, I always turned to them.....via another town...... for underwear and sweaters......both gents and ladies.......they were always great, assuring us of good quality and a long life.
Nowadays they could be classed as another Charity Store........look long and hard and you may find a few good bits......but generally just walk on by.

As for their Food Hall,take it away and my DH... who does the shopping... would be lost.He swears by them for all our fresh fruit and veggies, which are by far fresher than any of our stores these days.

It seems "On line Shopping" will eventually have all these High Street stores close in our Towns,we are entering a new era.

I have to admit to buying a lovely linen shirt at Marks yesterday - saw it just as I was walking toward the door muttering “Why do I waste my time here?”

hidagard
I'm just on 5ft and a size 12.
I find Wallis a good fit. The same with the Ben de lisi range in debenhams. The waistline is where it should be and non of that saggy underbum thing.
Most of M&S trousers seem to made for hermaphrodites.

On the other hand they are opening two new stores in Northern Ireland. We love M&S here.

I too am sorry to hear the position they are in and feeling guilty I did not give them enough support over the past decade like I used to in previous years .There is so much out there for the consumer we are spoilt for choice and at one time it was just M&S then along came Next followed by other names we could also buy on the internet. Hope they can get their act together before the name M&S bites the dust.

I have not been able to find my usual linen summer trousers for about 2 yrs now so have bought at Next or Tu .
In todays DM it shows a dress which M&S are hoping will be popular this year it shows the dress on 6 different ladies all different shapes and there is not one it looks good on,and the material reminds you of deckchair material.

I buy M&S cotton T shirts, love the colours and different neck lines, but have found equally good ones in Matalan recently,they are good quality too.

I do still find some good value basics like cotton T shirts, and their summer linen is often very good, but so much of the rest does make me wonder who on earth would be seen dead in it. Horrible colours and patterns, nasty cheap looking (and feeling) fabrics, tacky, fussy 'bits' and trimmings added to things that would be far better without.

I've said it before, but IMO they need to sack most of their buyers and get different designers in.
I'm sure their buyers must often think, 'Well, I wouldn't be seen dead in it, but it'll do for M&S.'

Trouble is, they never listen.

M & S has just opened a large expensive food store in a suburban high street near me, with limited, expensive parking; it already has two butchers, two green grocers, two bread/cake shops, two newsagents and two chemists, plus a Tesco Express. Bad business decision, particularly as the two previous supermarket chains on the site both closed.
Where do these Chief Executives come from?

Couldn't agree more with all the comments. I used to buy everything from M&S, but the quality is rubbish, I would rather pay. little more for something suitable. Whether they like it or not they do not appeal to the young market. Whenever I visit a store it is full of people my age (74) trying to find appropriate clothes i.e with sleeves or elbow length.

I usually find alot to like in asda, but this year matalan has had alot of nice things xx