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MNers needed for exclusive 'behind the scenes' with key folks from M&S fashion - London Thursday 4 Dec - vouchers to be had! NOW CLOSED

83 replies

AnnMumsnet · 21/11/2014 14:26

We have been asked by the team at M&S to find 8 MNers to go along to an exclusive - invitation only - "behind the scenes" event at M&S Marble Arch on Thursday 4 December - this is a chance to chat to the design and buying team at M&S about their womenswear range this Christmas and to get some top advice on the range.

The event is open to existing M&S womenswear shoppers, those who used to shop there and those who don't use M&S for themselves.

The day will run between approx 9.30/10am until about 1pm and will include a delish M&S lunch.

The format will be as follows:

On arrival - you'd be asked to go ‘shopping’ around the store for half an hour and to select 3-4 items for yourself that you like and think you would buy.

MNers would then take these to the M&S press showroom to try on if desired and have the chance to talk to the M&S team about the items picked, whether having tried it on you would buy it and if not and why not. There will also be a chance to discuss what wasn't picked up and why not.

Belinda Earl - Style Director will be calling in and will chat a bit about how the business works, what she thought when she came to M&S, how she tries to make sure what M&S offers meets the need of all their customers.

This will lead to an open discussion with other members of the M&S senior womenswear team about MNers top 3 loves and hates about M&S, what your ideal M&S would look like/sell, what are your favourite shops, what is most important to you in clothing. The group will also ask MNers - if MN ran the Womenswear business what 3 things would they do?

The event will have a Christmas theme - with a showcase of party and event clothing for women and some of the kids/mens too as well as lingerie. And of course - some of the Christmas food and drink will be served!

Travel costs can be covered.

As a thank you for attending you will be given £50 of M&S vouchers - which can be spent on the day or afterwards

Those attending will be sent a list of questions, loves and hates submitted by MNers and asked to think about them during the discussion

In return we'd need you to post your feedback on the event to a thread on Mumsnet. We'd also like you to take some photos during the day and to add these to the thread.

Please note, M&S may well use your comments from the thread, from the day, photos, and photos they take at the event on their website, and possibly elsewhere - please only apply if you're happy with this.

If you'd like to attend please add your details here and we will be in touch with selected MNers shortly

If you can't attend but would like to submit a question for the M&S team - please add them here - no guarantee it will be asked but we will ask MNers to include as many as possible.

Thanks
MNHQ

MNers needed for exclusive 'behind the scenes' with key folks from M&S fashion - London Thursday 4 Dec - vouchers to be had! NOW CLOSED
OP posts:
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teddygirlonce · 21/11/2014 16:52

:-) sounds great!

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BelindaAllWorkedOut · 21/11/2014 17:10

Can you please check that my survey completed? The internet stalled as I hit the submit button.

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sunnyrosegarden · 21/11/2014 17:25

Brave of M & S when you consider the usual Mumsnet threads!

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CiderwithBuda · 21/11/2014 17:39

Very brave!

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ChippyMinton · 21/11/2014 17:51

I'm sure everyone will be polite but honest Grin

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alemci · 21/11/2014 18:00

had a go

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molesbreath · 21/11/2014 18:02

This is about time and could be the turning point for m&s.

What is needed are some of MNs more err vocal participants.

Looking forward to reading the thread Grin

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Nerf · 21/11/2014 18:21

Oooh o want to but I'd need to swap a work day. The only stuff I look at now is limited and autograph but per una seems to be creeping over to limited and adding a little zip or frill in the middle of the night.

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Itsfab · 21/11/2014 18:56

M&S makes me sad. Most of the assistants are lovely but all they say is "We can't tell head office, they don't listen." and "I know, but they don't listen."

I spent £40 last week and was expecting to get two £5 vouchers as per their very big poster. What you actually get is a receipt which offers you £10 off when you spend another £40 Hmm. I pointed out to the assistant that isn't what the poster said and she said "I know, other people have complained too" but nothing was done about it Hmm.

I used to spend a lot of money in M&S. Now I don't spend any on clothes other than socks for the kids. It is the only thing they do well imo as they print the sizes inside the socks.

Talking of socks. They won't put one pack out if it is the last one left in that size Hmm. Heaven forfend that one person wants to actually buy one pack in that size but they won't put it out. So, you have to order adding work and time to everyone's day or go elsewhere.

Too many departments, I am not sure where I am supposed to go being in my 40's.

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SpaghettiMeatballs · 21/11/2014 18:58

I would love to talk to M&S about their ranges including children's clothing but it's too far away for me.

I have so many questions but I guess my top question would be why, why, why on earth do they still measure for bras by adding 4 inches to the tape measure figure? Why can't they measure like Bravissimo? I like their ranges but if they carry the bulk of their stock in the 34-38 A-E where lots of women measured the Bravissimo way are coming in around 30-32 E-GG.

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EachandEveryone · 21/11/2014 21:37

Oh, I would live to talk to them give them a piece of my mind regarding dressing women over 40 in the same clothes my mother wouldn't be seen dead in.

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goingmadinthecountry · 21/11/2014 22:09

There's so much I want to say to the clothes people at M and S about how they could get buyers like me back on side. They take something OK and bugger it up by over-designing it. And what is it with the awful pictures on the website?

Please please just do some lovely loose fit cashmere jumpers WITHOUT naff sequin pictures on and NOT in vile dingy colours. I'm nearly 51 and find your clothes far too middle-aged for me. I just want simple, plain good quality classics. STOP OVER-DESIGNING!! AND lilac is HORRID. I have money to spend but you make nothing I love.

COATS this year quite nice, but colours too cheap looking and full on.

PLEASE, whoever gets to go, speak your mind!

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goingmadinthecountry · 21/11/2014 22:13

By the way, my 88yo French stepmother rarely buys anything there any more because it's too frumpy for her!

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nightswift · 22/11/2014 06:32

Only 8 peoples views! Will those numbers give a representative discussion?

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Trumpton · 22/11/2014 07:25

I am visiting London over that date and have filled in survey.

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NoelleHawthorne · 22/11/2014 07:27

Id love this. But you know. WORK

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NoelleHawthorne · 22/11/2014 07:28

And boo at marks bashing. I LOVE IT. And I shop at all kinds of other places too. Zara uniqlo river Island gap.
Ok none of the marks trousers ever fit my short waisted slim thighs body but I love that bloody shop.

Gutted I can't volunteer.

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NoelleHawthorne · 22/11/2014 07:29

(If marks want to pay my cover costs for the day I'm POSITIVE my boss would let me go as a service to others)

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Tzibeleh · 22/11/2014 07:44

A £50 voucher does not seem much of a reward for doing all that work for them.

TBH that seems on a par withM&S's attitudes ATM. Their reward 'schemes' are stingy, compared with other shops.

I only ever seem to find stuff I like on the rare occasions when I venture into one of the mega-branches. The smaller branches always stock the frumpy clothes, nasty synthetic work wear, and 'cheap' t-shirts. But I do not like the mega-branches because they are often so visually overwhelming, too many signs and decirations, no sense of order.

BTW I won't touch the 'cheap' T-shirts with a barge pole any more, even if they are Fairtrade. The quality is dreadful. Primark at 1/2 the price and 1/2 the weight - but still 100% cotton - wears vastly better, and is improved welfare for the manufacture workers.

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mindingalongtime · 22/11/2014 09:56

I just wish they'd put some stretch in the lovely range of cotton long sleeve T shirts for women. They loose all their shape and go enormously baggy at the bottom. They are the most useful item I buy for daily wear and practical with jeans a s a childminder, so I buy Sainsburys ones as they have stitch and wash and wash and fit beautifully.

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mindingalongtime · 22/11/2014 09:57

I do wish I could edit typos! Stretch not stitch!

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AnnMumsnet · 22/11/2014 10:54

hi - thanks to all who have volunteered - if you can't go - please do add comments and questions on this form: www.surveymonkey.com/s/S3QD6QP - that way I don't have to copy and paste them from the thread I can pass to the M&S team really easily!

OP posts:
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domesticslattern · 22/11/2014 10:55

I'd love to do this but will be at work
I also have to say that I went to M&S earlier this week in a bit of a spendy mood and there was not a single thing in the whole store I wanted. Really quite incredible considering the size of the store and the range of stuff I was potentially interested in eg jewellery, shoes, Autograph, bags, coats, tops for work- gave them all the once over and all awful. I would struggle to find 3 or 4 things I liked as they suggest!

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SuperFlyHigh · 22/11/2014 12:41

Done I can get time off work I think

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SuperFlyHigh · 22/11/2014 12:46

I used to buy the odd per una item for my mum (quite a few!) and sometimes tops (years ago) and shoes. In the past few years if I do pass a m&s nothing grabs me sometimes their limited print dresses but usually all gone....

The sleepwear and even bras (no bigger sizes) is either wrong size or not quite right. So I've given up.

When I can buy cheaper better clothes (tights etc) in primark why the heck would I go to m&s?!

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