Marks and Spencer - the end of the High Street?

[BubblesBuddy]

As they are closing 100 stores in the next 4 years, will this damage High Street shopping further? It seems inevitable. I know they are not all High Street stores, but their stores often anchor the High Street offering. Will we miss them? What’s gone so badly wrong with their clothing?

[wormery]

Yes I think it will change the high street. I am petite and they used to do a great range but not anymore and the short length are still too long. I find their clothes frumpy and poorly made, I bought two cardigans which are shapeless. Their clothes used to feel good quality and last for years. I don't see many people in the clothing dept at my local big store but the food area and the two cafe are always packed.

[BubblesBuddy]

I miss decent fabrics. Cashmere is OK, but no pure wool and classic tailoring is sadly lacking. Wool trousers are more or less a thing of the past. I tend to think many shops are full of stuff that no-one wears. It's not expensive but it tends to look cheap too. I'm not sure that's what M and S should be. I think their shops are huge and their displays are woeful. Has not changed for years.

I think going down the "brands" line is confusing. If I want a crisp shirt, I want to look in shirts. Or, as in other shops, colour co-ordinated looks. I don't care if they are premium "branded" or not. I can look at price and fabric and decide for myself.

I was amazed they closed Bournemouth. It shouuld be full of their type of customer. It was dreadful. I cannot understand why they do not understand how cothes should be displayed.

[PickAChew]

Well the next couple of stores in the NE are both pretty dire. One has two much better stores nearby but the other one is out on its own, really, and will leave a big hole.

[BadTasteFlump]

Personally I won't miss M&S - unless they also close their food stores, that is. Their clothes were awful years before internet shopping took over.

What I don't understand is why such a big brand never managed to get somebody in (as in somebody who knew what they were doing) to overhaul their clothing range.

[Diamonddealeroncemore]

I agree with all the zillions of different sections I don’t want to traipse all over a store (3 floors in our local one) just to look for tee shirts, I want all the tee shirts they do in one place. I can soon find styles I like but I’m not doing my 10,000 steps in an attempt to find them.

[GrannyGrissle]

Reasons for it's demiiiise are very well documented on MN. I will miss it aaass ii missed Woolworths-Never shopped there but was comforted by it's presence.
When they close the store in DM&DF's town (in 2018-19) the high street will be royally fucked. Town is now full of pound shops, charity shops, cafes, empty units and foreign supermarkets. I am actually rather worried over the future of the place though thankfully DM (Who ADORES M&S) and DF will be moving away from said town soon.
The shite M&S have been turning out these past 10/15 years have led me to comment often that it is like they are being sabotaged by their own designers.