M&s closures

[Raver84]

Feel sorry for the staff who will loose their jobs but does anyone shop regularly in there? The fashion is dire, the shoes mostly hiddious. I'm in my 30s so prob not the target but as a parent i think their children stuff is quite old fashioned and over priced for basics like t shirts and pjs.
The toys section is stuff that older people think children 'should' like such as patchwork knitted dolls and wooden tat. Lots of 'sensible' toys. Albeit would look nice in a show home, no children play with this do they or would love it as a gift?

If it were to leave the high street would you miss it? I like the food and the tights, but that's all. The hand bags are also ok ish.

You’d have more chance finding swimshorts in Jan than Sept I reckon! Shops always seem out of synch with the seasons.

I like the baby clothes and some of the kids clothes. A lot of the lovely baby outfits stopped at 18 months though and I would have bought more in toddler sizes if they’d have done them. I did suggest this to customer services and I got a really snotty email back about how I was wrong and their data right.

I like the food, shoes and underwear. But I’ve not bought clothes there for a long time. I did buy a dress online but it aged me by 20 years and made me look hideously old and frumpy so it went back. What I want is a shop that sells LK Bennet or Hobbs style clothes for half the price. I’m really struggling with work clothes at the moment. I can’t find what I want at a price I’m willing to pay.

Sparks has also been the crappest loyalty card ever. I can’t even be bothered to scan the card anymore.

I keep them open. I buy pants, socks, tights, pyjamas and school uniform.

I am not surprised, I think M&S has this old fashioned type image that only middle aged to elderly shop. The food is lovely, I hope the food halls stay, but the clothes, no. Younger people to head to the trendier shops like H&M, River Island, Mango, Primark as they have a young image, and the fashion is up to date. Don't want to shop where your nan or mum goes do you, well I felt like that when I was in my 20s.

I love their underwear, tights, leggings, bedlinen, towels and food! I do have some other pieces, a couple of dresses that have lasted years and still look good, knitwear and jeans, but I think a lot of their tops and blouses are frumpy. Bags and shoes are great though. Luckily none local to me are due to close!

I love their kids stuff, because they have some lovely bits that are traditional, their food and their beauty dept. It’s expensive though. The cafes are a joke. The womens clothes are too expensive. However they’re great for a lot of older people who aren’t catered for.
Will be really sad to ever see them close.

M and s started to go downhill when it began competing with the supermarkets.

What it should have done is captured the basics from Uniqlo and the middle market from Cos who use lots of natural fibres and make good quality items.

It’s very expensive to make clothes in UK as in the 80s production moved abroad. The manufacturers out there invested in new technology and left Britain behind. Some products are still made in the U.K. but not many

I buy trousers and jeans there, due to them having short lengths. I get underwear there out of habit. Otherwise the quality and style of women's clothing is awful.

I'm in my 20s and I love marks and Spencer. They are the only place I can get bras which fit and shoes which are comfortable and last. I would be lost without them.

It's so strange it went so wrong for them clothing-wise surely they must ask customers what they want at some stage in the process and by the sounds of it that's good quality basics and less frumpy odd designs.

Their shoes are great and their boots are the best quality and reasonably priced. I shop a lot at M&S, mostly shoes, beauty products and sculp and lift jeans. I'll cry if they close my branch.

I gave up on them long ago - never had anything I wanted in my size in stock. Yes I could order it in but that's another trip into the city centre to collect it or additional cost of postage. Why should I pay more because their stock control is abysmal?

My dad will be gutted, they are closing our outlet store so they always have last seasons stuff in odd sizing that works for him.
On the plus point they have said no redundancies as all staff can be deployed to other local stores

In reality people that could walk to work now incur between £25 and £60 per week commuting costs if they have to use public transport

Disclaimer I have no connection to any M&S worker but I'm know the commuting costs to the other stores and have seen the social media posts that they all have been 'redeployed' so no job losses

The clothing is awful but I will defend their food range to the death. Far, far better quality and value than anything from other supermarkets. Every food item I buy from there genuinely feels restaurant quality. It's also no more expensive(probably cheaper) than elsewhere if you look out for their meal deals and 3 for £7/3 for £10 offers.

I’d miss my local store if it closed. I like their homewares, the classic children’s toys as presents, and get my underwear and basics like vests from there. Although I’ve just replaced my knickers with exactly the same style but the new ones are much thinner. Used to buy from their limited collection a few years ago, and still would if they kept it to classic styles for a younger customer without unnecessary frills and sequins.

Shame they can’t just nail good quality basics. I’d buy all my t shirts, leggings etc from them if they were good quality and made of natural materials. Would happily pay a bit more for staples that washed well too.

My local one is closing and while not a surprise, I’m gutted. It’s a real blow for the high street as it’s one of the biggest shops. The likelihood is that many will travel to other places rather than the local high street and there will be ever fewer people using the remaining shops.

I was in yesterday buying uniform and it was really busy.

I’m in my early 30’s.

All of my pencil skirts are from M&S, and they are of fabulous quality and have lasted for many years of washing and wearing several times per week. I have always bought these in the sale though.

I really like most of their underwear and pyjamas, but only ever purchase these in the sale. The pyjamas I bought in the Christmas sales have been worn and washed several times, and are still as good as new, and far better quality than any others that I’ve bought from other high street shops.

I have a fantastic pair of leather shoes from there that I have worn hundreds of times over the past 6 years - again, I bought these in the sale.

The men’s shirts are excellent quality, and easy to iron. My DH has a few amongst his copious amounts of designer shirts, and they are far better than any of these.

We love lots of the children’s clothes, and they’re of excellent quality. Our DC have many clothes and footwear from there.

The toys and children’s books are brilliant.

They stock some wonderful fragrances by hard to find in the UK brands.

Their cards, gift wrap and food are all really lovely, although it is more convenient for us to shop at Waitrose as they have a car park.

I was looking for jeans however, and tried 8 different pairs, and definitely didn’t purchase any! Some didn’t fit, but they varied in where on the body they did or didn’t fit. One pair was too large, and they all looked really frumpy.

I am 35 and don't think I have ever stepped foot in an m&s.

amazing how good their food is compared to the clothes!

Yes! And their food advertising. It’s like two different stores. I love their food, baby clothes and tights. But even my 60-something mil from rural Russia walked in and declared their clothes dowdy.

I don’t normally do this but to the poster spending £3 to £4 on pomegranate seeds.
Just buy a pomegranate

I buy school shirts, underwear and beauty products regularly. Ladies wear is hot and Miss but I do get the odd thing.

My biggest bugbear is how short all the tops are, especially after a wash. Much shorter than other high street shops so I can't buy t-shirts or jumpers unless I want yo flash my midriff.

The clothes in our local store are pretty crap, they don't seem to know their audience. They rarely have the right size and the fitting rooms are always filthy.

Why they always have to add bows or embroidery to seemingly nice tops/ dresses etc is beyond me.

I'm not surprised they're closing lots of stores, they haven't listened to their customers and don't understand the market.

They could copy Boden and be cheaper and they'd make a killing.

The food is a different matter, although they could do with an online/ delivery model to ensure that stays relevant.

I was going to say as well - I think it's a PR /advertising problem with their clothes as well as the items themselves.
I was in a few weeks ago and there was actually quite a lot I would have bought - but it's so long since they have had anything decent it wouldn't have occurred to me to go there to buy clothes

Please don't copy Boden!
I guess they may do better doing that but it still won't entice me in. Too frumpy still and I'm 50s.

One of their problems with children’s clothes is producing the same girls dress from age 3-14. No 14 year old is going to wear a dress from M&S and not one a 3 year old will be wearing.