The sad decline of M&S……

[GladysGeorgina]

I used to work for M&S in the late 80s and early 90s whilst at sixth form and then uni. I loved that job! I was treated well and paid well for my age. The store was always bustling and we would constantly be moving displays around to try to fit all the stock in. Customer service was top priority. I felt quite proud to work for the company and even didn’t mind wearing the truly dreadful uniforms of the time. I feel sad at watching the decline of M&S on the high street. Our local branch looks more sparse every time I go in. Hardly any staff. No identity. I need new work trousers so popped in at 4pm today. I’m in between sizes so chose 5 pairs of trousers and picked up two sizes for each pair. I was confused because both fitting rooms were closed so I asked an assistant. She was quite snotty and told me the fitting rooms close at 4pm each day due to not enough staff on the rota at that time of day. It’s Saturday and the store didn’t close until 6pm ffs. Apparently it’s ok because I can buy all the trousers and try them on at home. No thanks! I don’t want to pay £400 for 10 pairs of trousers and then lug them home, only to have to bring 9 pairs back for a refund. Don’t know why I’m writing this really. Probably because I was irritated and a bit sad too…….and I still don’t have any new work trousers!

I agree with previous poster, the out of town big stores are fab, very nicely done with lots of choice. But the drab high street ones have clearly not been invested in!

On the flip side, I bought uniform the other week to be delivered at my local store and then spotted Ocado was selling the same stuff discounted, so I bought it again at Ocado and left the M&S stuff uncollected to be returned. At the end of the collection window, I got an email saying they extended it for me

Food is outstanding and attracts the young crowd. Keep at it.

Nooo I am the young crowd and disagree. Their food quality has gone downhill since pre pandemic. Even a sandwich or ready meal would be a treat back then and you could taste how much fresher the fruit and veg was. M&S needs to revert back, please and thank you

@IamTheBridge hot breakfast buffet at the Premier Inn I stayed at a month ago.

To be fair though- fashion is about buying an aspiration and a shiny image. Let’s not pretend it’s not. A nice smile, intelligence and shiny hair are attractive- subconsciously that’s what customers like to see and buy around. Might not be politically correct to say but it’s true 🤷‍♀️

Would I be thrilled to buy clothing from someone miserable with greasy hair… no. Not unless I was paying bottom dollar for it.

I live a stones throw from a gigantic flagship store. I tried to buy the period underwear in there. You know....period underwear - really popular and modern and gets loads of press. Firstly the staff didn't know what I was on about then eventually a much younger cashier told me they are not in store at all but online.

Primark which is yards away had them in stock. They had dozens of sets in all the sizes.

The one positive is that I order to collect and it comes in 2/3 days and it's moments from my office. But even the uniform stock was shit this year.

Our local large one isn’t bad. I don’t often find anything I like, but did get bras the other week - that fitted - and last year bought 2 pairs of ‘cosy’, genuinely high-waisted jeggings that I lived in all winter. Back in them again the last couple of days, since the temp has dropped.

Your opinion and it’s valid but I can’t say I agree. I haven’t noticed any difference in my store.

When I very first worked at M&S, the strength of the brand was such that there weren’t any changing rooms - no need for such faffing around and no credit cards were accepted- just the M&S store card or cash. And people flocked in.

Yes they did the same to me, regarding the changing rooms. Being told to buy them all to try on at home, made me mad. Same happened in our local sainsburys, but their changing rooms.are permanently closed.

Our local stores are quite poorly stocked, and don't even start me on their outlet store. This was amazing when it first opened but now full of "made for outlet" cheap clothing made in the far east and bras that aren't the size on the label

I like that they're selling other brands online, and delivery is usually fairly quick. I think they'll go completely online before long like Debenhams and it'll just be food halls.

They also used to be well-known for refunding absolutely anything… the tales I’ve heard from family about them having to accept back dresses with cig burns that had clearly been worn on a sat night… 😂

I get the odd thing for work

I go to the one in Charlton it’s huge and so empty of customers. I expect it to close soon

i think they made the mistake when they tried to gain too many customers the reverse happened. They used to always be good for simply classic clothing it was good quality know with the different ranges they have lost their way

I had my first part time job there in the early 80's, was an amazing place to work. I felt very lucky to work there and it had great perks, especially staff catering 😁

I feel sad about M&S too. Do you remember St.Michael? I used to love the gift sets, books, all the things they did at Christmas. I remember the gift sets fondly (forest fern, peach).

My feeling is they will just focus on food as that's all that sells now. I don't like the clothes, shoes or underwear.

I have to disagree I think M&S have really upped their game lately.
I love the flagship store at Fosse Park, Leicester, the one at Withybush Retail Park, Haverfordwest is brilliant & the city centre store in Lincoln is good too!

I just bought tonnes of stuff from m and s. In fact have done numerous times this year. It's good for kids clothing, clothes for me and shoes, beauty. I don't get the disdain really.

Went in our city centre store today and the autumn season clothes were fantastic. I could have spent a fortune. They’ve massively reduced the Per Una section, which I always find very dull, and moved it towards the back, front of store is smart trousers, blazers, cosy jumpers….love it. Beauty section has been fab for a while now, nothing like it for miles around. Bizarrely couldn’t find what I went in for though which was children’s shoes.

I've been disappointed with M&S for a while now. Food seems just ridiculously overpriced & no longer justifiable as a treat.
Local branch (big city) is slowly falling apart with black & yellow hazard tape across parts of the floor & an escalator was broken for literally months.

I bought a summer dressing gown in June that has worn so thin I doubt it will last a wash. Bras wear very badly too.

It was amazing in the 90s, I used to love my M&S charge card & buy loads!
The hairdresser for staff was certainly true.

I can see it rapidly declining also.

Does anyone else remember The Pink Dress from a few years ago? 😂

Loved high tea! We had a card we topped up to buy food in canteen.
I also loved the staff shop in the branch I worked in. Food was not reduced in the stores then for customers so staff would get it for half price. The best time was before the Sunday opening of shops and Saturday evening I used to get so many bargains.

I buy a lot from M&S. I do tend to order online and collect in store rather than buy directly in store though. They're great for work clothes and I really like their jeans. Their skincare is good too.

Our Food Hall is only small but I pick bits up from there a couple of times a week.

The staff in ours are really helpful. I had to take back a faulty item recently (a dress that I'd worn a few times and the collar had begun to fray) and they refunded me without any bother at all.

I won't shop there any more after they encourage let men come into the women's changing rooms while my pre-teen daughter was trying on underwear.

I went in to our city centre store in early July in the hopes of buying a summer dress for a holiday. I could have forgiven them if they didn't have one in my size (20-22) as I know I am out of the norm but they had no dresses at all. Not even in smaller sizes. I was very surprised.

Their children's clothes are very good quality but the designs are a bit rubbish these days. I was looking for a pack of plain, colourful, long sleeved tops online for my daughter today. They had the perfect pack but only up to size 6-7. My daughter is only 5 but very tall and in age 7-8 clothes. They did have a pack for older girls with slightly fewer in and not quite as nice colours but I thought it would do but then I noticed the sleeves on the photo. Either they have massively long sleeves on their tops for older girls or most of their older girls' tops' back length is much shorter than their sleeve length. So girls playing about will constantly have their tops riding up which I don't want for the upcoming winter.