M&S - What's more essential: School Uniform or Night Cream?

[SallyBear]

I am hugely disappointed in M&S. Two of my boys need new school trousers and I went into the swanky new M&S shop (we have three in our town), only to be told that school uniform can ONLY be ordered online. I looked at the huge bank of beauty products next to children's clothing and wondered which is a bigger seller - school uniform or night cream? I am cross, because I am now having to go to our main store, which is always busy to buy something that most parents would agree was an essential product.

AIBU in wondering why shoppers with school age children should be penalised for wanting to be able to physically choose and buy school uniform from your local store rather than order it online? How many people buy beauty products from M&S compared to people who buy their kids school uniform from M&S? I doubt that the beauty product line outsells their school uniform.

Our only store stopped selling mens suits, annoying as needed one in a hurry (DH had expanded without noticing) but ultimately not overly fussed.

Went in on Saturday for clothes for DD (2) and they have stopped selling ALL children's clothes, except knickers and pyjamas!! Not just uniform, EVERYTHING. There is still a very limited range of baby clothes but not much.

I did get pissed at this, because it's a big store, food hall, cafe, whole floor of women's wear with half a floor of women's underwear, half a floor of menswear and literally a TINY corner for kids.

I was shopping then and there, cba to go home, go online and find something then wait for it to come before being able to decide if I actually like it.... So I went elsewhere and will carry on doing so.

YABU for complaining about something that is such a non problem. The world does not revolve around parents of school aged children.

CoolaSchmoola, it's M&S's decision what they sell, and your decision as to whether you buy it. That's the end of the debate. M&S are perfectly entitled to use their premises to sell whatever they like, so long as it's legal and OK within planning permission. If they think they can make more money out of food and women's clothing, rather than children's clothes, that's their decision. They're not a public service.

I ordered some school trousers from M&S online today to be delivered free to store. Trousers are £11. I got half way through and it said I couldn't have them delivered to store-they were Home Delivery Only. How can they deliver to my house but not to a store?

The delivery charge is £3.50. i emailed and they are refunding the P&P. i should think so too.

Also the school trousers sizes changed. DS1 is an exact Age 14-fits perfectly. They have now changed to 13-14 or 14-15.

If it is small M&S how on earth would they fit in all the size of uniform needed to fill the requirements of every over-entitled parent that walked in? Or did you want them to just stock the size that you need?
If the uniforms were in such high demand they would be in every store all year, this clearly is not the case so the space is filled with items that do sell.

so the space is filled with items that do sell.

Well, it's M&S, so it's not actually a given that they do sell.

All I wanted was a pair of Age 14 Charcoal grey school trousers. Not that out of the ordinary.

It's a given that M&S aren't setting out inconvenience busy parents, they are simply displaying items which are more likely to sell. It won't have been on a whim, it will be based on trends/figures.

As Friday said, they're not a public service, it's a business! Inevitably, they will sell whatever they think will make the most money!!

I imagine they are grateful for any sales TBH. Awful shop. Good for knickers and greeting cards and that's it.

Sparkling I read somewhere that M&S age 14 is age 13-14 and age 15 is 14-15 so you should always pick the higher age if they are labelled with one age. Clear as mud?!

That's what I did Katy Phew. He is a tall spindly age 14 with no waist. Anything '15' would be too big in the waist department even with the buttons.

DS2 is a perfect fit in Next.

How is school uniform not an all year product?! Do kids only go to school in September?!
YANBU, I went looking for a gray school cardi on Sunday only to be told online only! Pathetic!
Maybe if shops started stocking Xmas stuff later people would still be able to get school uniform!

Mine is tall and solid but still fits into age 7 stuff round the waist. Must be all that sport.

At my age, night cream and plenty of it.

I bought hand creams from M&S this week which could be used a night time?

Wow! What a random thing to be annoyed over!!

It's really expensive to keep items on shelves that don't shift - especially in a struggling climate!!

Poor M & S. Mind you, I'm having terrible trouble getting my teen DS school trousers that fit him at the moment. He has one M & S pair that fit him well, but can I find them again. No! (He is a large boy)

However YABU to think school uniform is more important than beauty products. To a lot of people (most?) they're not.

Why are you picking on a female beauty product, out of everything M & S fill their shelves with?

It is carefully researched what is worth shelf space in retail, but on a side note, the average woman will use moisturiser longer than she will buy school uniform for (some never need to buy it).

For most women child rearing doesn't take up the majority of their life span, also, do you walk round M&S with your eyes closed, I feel young and vibrant when I take my Mum shopping in there (I am in my 40's and have just bought school uniform for the last time this term).