M and S axe it’s Classic Range !

Hooray! This morning I found an absolutely gorgeous blouse in our local M&S. I don't know what 'range' it's from but it's lovely. My good blouse for the festive season and beyond.

I used to buy the classic jeans which were comfortable and sat on the waist. The other trousers rather than say sit on waist etc, they are now mid rise, Roma rise which I haven’t a clue what that means, why can’t they make in simple.

Callistemon Per Una was originally aimed at 30+ working women. When I queried this after a few months I was told that "officially" it was for 30+ but actually it was older women who liked it.

Just proves how c**p their stock control is. I have been looking for just such jeans in just that colour in M&S and found nothing. I ende up buying dark blue fine cords, size 12,regular length and the legs are too short. I am 5'2!!

I'm not a frequent clothes shopper in M&S but I have recently found the best pair of jeans ever in there.
They are slim fit, not skinny but not wide leg either. They're stretchy, fit perfectly and are fair trade too. Problem is they're only available in a dark charcoal which is lovely but I'd like another pair in a dark indigo and that isn't available.

We don't even get icecream vans here

jolbrook apologies I thought you must be younger than me!

I think that Per Una was introduced to attract younger customers eg young mums, but it seemed to attract mainly older women which put off younger customers.

I am 73 and always found the Classic and Portfolio ranges much too middle aged. I used to like Indigo and Per Una was good while George Davies was in charge. I recently bought a real good denim jacket and some chunky plastic jewellery but nothing else.

When the Per Una range first came out, George Davies (ex George at Asda) was responsible for it. That range included some beautiful designs. When I look at Per Una now the clothes are so ordinary. I haven’t bought from M & S for years, apart from underwear - and they now seem to have discontinued my favourites. I give up!

Just google 'pretty printed cotton handkerchieves' Alexa. There are plenty about.

In view of older women's favouring online for reasons of comfort and convenience perhaps M and S could have a travelling shop with ice cream tune to announce its arrival in the street after notices on TV as to when and where the M and S van would be in your local area.

This would be very local indeed sort of at the top of your street, but would be for inspecting the goods not trying them on. Well maybe they could actually sell full brief knickers, and such that would not take up a lot of space.

I wish I could still buy pretty printed cotton hankies.

One main reason I still go to M and S is I do nearly all my shopping online and M and S website is the best by far.

My message to the M&S Management would be to shrink. Get rid of the massive floor space; make it smaller; reduce ranges and try to improve quality. We already have the food only shops; maybe a M&S Style shop for clothes would work? Quite a challenge but I think the online business is doing ok; they certainly have a very good website. They just need to acknowledge a shrinking, ageing customer base who I think would like the "small shop" idea.

habe M&S food

I'm 76! But like trendy clothes and just love on-line shopping as I am finding trekking the shops impossible. These days you can get free delivery and returns, so very easy. I like to try on in my own bedroom and not a changing room. I do not want the advise of a salesperson as I have been "in the trade" and know what to look for and what I want.
Interesting, so many young people do not know their fabrics. My DGD looks blank when I talk about silk, merino, lambswool etc.. and thinks I am barmy to carefully wash clothes. No wonder that Manufacturers make stuff in cheap machine washable fabrics.

I don't want M&S to be on the way out - I want it to buck up

jolbrook because, for many years, M&S offered good basics at a reasonable price, all found under one roof.

There may be alternatives out there, but sourcing these alternatives, trekking from shop to shop, is not always possible and many people do not like buying clothes online because they like to try on, feel the fabrics etc.

We should all move on to better and brighter things to come

jolbrook? Presumably you're still a fairly young granny!

I do shop at other places eg JL, White Stuff, Joules, but for go-to basics, including trousers, jeans, everyday knitwear, some underwear I go to M&S (or did). Followed by the Food hall.

Why are people in bits about the demise of M&S? Its day is over; it is part of the death of the High St. Let is go; as mentioned above there are much better alternatives out there.
Next year is the predicted shrinking or closure of Debenhams,Boots and New Look.
We should all move on to better and brighter things to come.

Lyndylou, About wide fitting shoes: I have the same problem. The makes to go for are Legero, Wolky, Gabor, Pikolino and lots of choice in the Peter Hahn catalogue - but unfortunately at a price.

I love their pyjamas that can be purchased separate top/bottoms in soft Jersey prints. Usually treat myself to two or three sets at this time of year (yes even ones with cats on). But this year the majority of the trousers have cuffed bottoms. I hate cuffed bottoms! What has happened to my lovely wide leg pyjama trousers. Only one pattern in our local store had no cuffs on the separate pj's and it was a reptile print. Also by my bras from M&S same range, same size sometimes they even do a colour other than nude/black or white which I always buy. BUT lately they dont always fit despite purchasing same size/style at same time? Not sure where I will shop in future probably George at Asda or Tu at Sainsbury the jeans and tunic toos from these two have been a godsend

M & S are going the same way as most other stores, catering for young folk. They buy clothing more often- wear once then abandon for something new. Older people don't
have the same turnover in clothing so not so much profit to be had. M& S have allegedly incorporated much of Classic into the Collection range. I didn't buy from Classic but appreciated for very long standing customers that was a 'must go to' range.

‘When will M&S realise that the 70-somethings now used to dress in Quant and Biba ...’

...& the 80-somethings were the Swinging Sixties dollybirds etc. The 60-somethings were Punk, New Romantics etc.

Ditto the polo neck jumpers, pull-on tweedy long short skirt & opaques, Patrick Cox/DMs on rotation. Nifty workwear for those averse to shoulder-pads.

Steve Rowe M&S CEO

Our range remained too wide in FY 2018/19 with multiple options splintering our buying scale and making our shops challenging
to navigate. Our size ratios have been historically misaligned with the profile of the contemporary family age customer
we aim to appeal to. However, where we have made progress in pruning options and introducing slimmer fits and more mid sizes, the customer response has been very strong.

To save you downloading the report, page 10 onwards says...

In 2018..’In addressing these challenges, we set out what we needed to do to deliver the change required:
> Restore our style and value credentials to broaden our appeal to a younger family age customer.
> Restructure our shape of buy, reducing breadth of range and focusing on backing winning lines in high volume.
> Build on our loyal customer base and strong customer franchise in denim, lingerie, suits and back to school.
> Target one-third of our sales online by 2022.
> Reform our supply chain and systems to improve availability and deliver
for customers.’

& then...’And when we got the product fit and price right for the contemporary, family-age customer we aim
to appeal to – such as our denim campaign case study above – we saw product fly off the shelves. ’

...’Digital marketing of our Holly’s Must-Haves range generated 1.7 million clicks through to our website,’

...’for example our size ratios have been weighted towards larger sizes and fit, rather than the mid to smaller sizes of our target customer – aggravating availability problems.
To address this, we plan to deliver a more marked reduction in options and range duplication. We will embed new range planning processes and size ratio tools,
so we are set up to back more winning lines and target the family-aged customer.’

So unless you ‘Hollyesque’ or slim-fit family shopper, M&S ain’t so interested in you.

M&S corporate site - corporate.marksandspencer.com/annualreport

‘I think a lot of the M&S core customers have found Uniqlo.Their woollies are lovely , great colours , wash well and are reasonably priced., especially the cashmere. Their t shirts are super soft and the heat tech range is just the job for this weather. I love the down coats too .Great designs in all departments. ’

This with nobs on. Uniqlo is now spot on for quality classic to sports wear everyday wear. Good value too.

A recent post about the unisex changing rooms lead me off to read the most recent M&S annual report. Therein stockholders are clearly briefed that M&S are reconfiguring the shop floor layouts - nowt about being ‘woke’ etc - to squeeze value out of the square footage, & that the target customers are to be younger & slimmer.

Merryweather my 12 year old grand daughter loves the M&S girl's range. She is really into style and clothes.

My one complaint is the one that is general to the whole clothes store, that too often they are completly out of the style you want in the size you want. DGD ended up buying a size that fitted her now rather than one with a bit of growing space because every garment we looked at, although meant to go up to a mid-teen age size, was almost completely devoid of the larger sizes. We bought about the only 12/13 year old garment in the very large M&S in the centre of York.