to think we can come up with good ideas to save M&S

[FleurDelacoeur]

M&S definitely on the skids. Profits down, stores closing, Chief Exec saying radical transformation required. Fairly clear that this has happened because they're not listening to their core market, which I'd wager has a fairly large crossover with the MN demographic. So Steve Rowe, if you're listening, here are a few bullet points.

1. Scrap the Sparks card.
2. Sack your womenswear design team. All of them. Now.
3. Ditch the Per Una brand.
4. Rethink your over generous returns policy.

Somebody said the food sales are down..

Last time I went in a store it was for food - kind of thing them seem to advertise doing - but didn't find what I was looking for went to sainsburys which had better range at better prices.

I think you do get to the point where you just stop thinking to try them at all.

Staples in natural fabrics in a variety of cuts that wash and wear well.

Everyone should be able to wear a piece of M&S clothing every day, not matter what they are doing: be it a pair of tights, underwear, a t-shirt, a cardigan, some socks. They should be doing foundation wardrobe pieces.

You should also be able to go into M&S at any time of year and buy clothing for a job interview or a funeral.

Just forget pattern. Forget it. You will never get it right. Make stuff that people will buy to put under or over the patterned garment. People should be able to buy a nice dress from another store and KNOW they will be able to buy a cardigan, tights, or a camisole to go with it from M&S... Because while loads of retailers do fashion dresses and tops, hardly anyone does all the other stuff to make said clothing actually wearable on a real life basis.

And for crying out loud, sort out your bra sizing. Make it simple. Stop it with this stupid adding 4 inches rubbish.

^^ THIS - All of the above..!

I used to go into M&S and lust over their beautifully-made, lovely quality classic clothes when my DC were small and I had very little money (C&A was my go-to shop) Now I've got the disposable income - and all their good stuff has gone..!

Oh, and while I'm here - make things in a range of colours, so that if (by some miracle) I do find something that I like, I can go back and buy several more in different colours - not be told, 'Oh, that walked off the rack, we'd sold out in a week'...

I sometimes have the fleeting opportunity to pop in to The Meadows at Camberley. The MOST frustrating thing IMO is that if, for example I want black trousers, there is a place with some of the trousers but if I can't find what I want then I have to go round the branded areas and hunt = waste of time on a fleeting visit.
If the store was sorted as M& S used to be, ie by item, then we'd find what we want quicker.

I am a slight fan of the £15 jeans but wish they came higher up the waist, have to wear a belt to keep them up. I also wish there was continuity of size, one blue pair I have in the same size as the others fits a whole size smaller IMO.

I'm also a fan of 1 style of bra but wish it had a higher cotton content.. Daughter likes their sports bras.

I used to buy all my work clothes from M&S in the 80s to about 20 years ago. Good quality lined wool suits, in classic styles, bought as separates, last forever if you buy 2 skirts (they used to offer a choice of length sometimes, too) or 1 skirt 1 trouser to 1 jacket. Change the outfit's look with a variety of plain and print tops and T shirts in current fashionable colours & prints, & team with different patterned scarves for variety. I'd like V neck T shirts not round neck. Or boat neck. Also your Tshirts are just a fraction too short. Add an inch.

I think a good selection of basic mix & match black/navy/grey workwear trousers/skirts/jackets in both wool and a good quality man made fabric would sell well.
As would a selection of colours of a quality lambswool jumper and cardigan, also in longer length (but please do not sell out of black. Ever.)
I'd also like to see less synthetics - those of us with fine hair don't want it standing on end with static, and we'd also like to see far more Made in Britain. In the '70s, many people used to buy M&S rather than BHS/Littlewoods/Debenhams 'because at least it is Made in Britain'

Finally all your handbags should be branded like the Radley's have the leather dog attached, M&S should have a Percy Pig leather emblem attached. So all of us that buy the Percy Pigs for themselves & not the kids can have a smile to themselves. I actually think it's be quite a marketing symbol.

Food is good, yes but it is unnecessarily expensive in my view. The truth is nowadays, is you can get similar quality products much cheaper elsewhere - because other supermarkets have raised their game so much in terms of quality in recent years. It was once 'top of the range' for us. We wanted to treat ourselves it would be M&S. If I had guests, entertaining, special occasions etc - I'd always go to M&S. Not so any more.

Even the Co-op does some superb products - Co-op own brand pizzas and bagged salads are by far the best in my view, and my daughter loves the fresh pasta and sauces which frankly knock Tesco's similar products into a cocked hat. Co-op aren't the cheapest, but they are far more accessible than M & S in terms of location of stores. I can visit 3 Co-ops within a one mile radius of my house but to go to M&S I have to go into town which is a right pain. I was on my way there the other day to food shop, when I realised I had no change in the car and it's all parking meters round there - no free parking, so I turned back. Also Co-Op do the divi card thing where they put cash on every time you scan your card. I've got about 50 quid on mine - just for doing small occasion shops.

As for the clothing etc. I rarely buy anything in Marks any more, but I was looking for a strapless bra (for big boobs) to wear under Bardot tops. All they had were those pre-formed things that hold you rigid like a straight-jacket and make your boobs look even bigger. I found exactly the (soft) bras I wanted on eBay in the end. Likewise tried to find a bikini in Marks without success and got one elsewhere.

I'm sad to see stores closing but if they aren't fulfilling the customer's needs then it's inevitable.

What everyone else has said about the clothes. And...

TRAIN YOUR BRA FITTERS AND ADJUST YOUR SIZING ACCORDINGLY.

Realise that a FF cup with a 32 back is not an enormous bosom.

We WANT to spend money with you but you make us so so so so hard.

And sort your actual stores out: dingy lighting, too low ceilings, dated decor.

YY to please refer to John Lewis for direction.

Here's what I want to (& try to) buy from M&S:

• Plain & lace-trimmed vests in black and white to wear under shirts/dresses etc. I do get these but they are NEVER in stock in a size 10 and it drives me mad!

• Plain multipacks of high leg & shorts-style knickers in plain colours without bows. The last ones I bought are of such poor quality I have binned them and gone back to buying plain knickers in Gap - they last ages and feel lovely.

• Good quality 70 denier leggings and tights in black that last

I don't want to buy:

• Bras that don't fit (gave up years ago)
• Anything with frills on

I have a small selection of M&S clothes from about eight years ago that I love - plain shift dresses, nice cardis for work etc. My sister and I always say they had one good year... I have had NO success since then, despite popping in regularly.

To be honest, I think they have lost the under-40s market to John Lewis. I don't ever think of M&S for a shopping trip, whereas if I go to JL I can guarantee I'll find ten things I want. I buy all my underwear in JL now, such good quality, modern styles and patterns and a sensible sizing system. Also JL give me £5 vouchers and free tea & cake vouchers, which makes me go back in.

I really like the yellow longline jacket duster coat thing in the Vogue edit, but they only do it in yellow, why ? why not a couple of other colours ? Not everyone can pull off saffron.

Another market m & s miss completely is tween/teen girls. No specific range just some clothes for age 3 to 16, what 16 year old wants to wear same style as 3 year old.

And I checked and the little girl range still only goes to age 6-7. Why? Agree john lewis, boden are sweeping up the market for people who want nice quality age appropriate clothes for girls.

My 12 year old wears nothing from m and s yet I buy lots from new look 9-15, kylie range 9-13 m and co.

You know, if I worked for M&S, this thread would actualy be heartening - 10 pages of suggestions! Most crying out for the same thing - be a store we can buy our basics/foundation of our wardrobe from!

We are your core customers - and we want you do to well ! That's actually a pretty good starting place for a company that's in the dolldrums - we aren't saying we don't care if you go under, we want you to sell stuff we want to buy.

As FormerlyPicking says: Everyone should be able to wear a piece of M&S clothing every day, not matter what they are doing: be it a pair of tights, underwear, a t-shirt, a cardigan, some socks. They should be doing foundation wardrobe pieces.

The trouble with M&S is they so often get it half right. Like the Best of British collection - it used British-made fabrics like Harris tweed and cashmere, and it was all excellent quality, with its heart in the right place about supporting small UK businesses. I so wanted to buy from it! But the designs were just a bit too out-there for me - eg, eyebrow-less Tilda Swinson type models glaring in half-mast trousers and clumpy brogues.

If they'd done simple basics - a perfect Brora style cardigan, or a linen dress - I'd have been in there like a shot. It felt like a huge wasted opportunity.

DialM I know... I had exactly the same thought. I almost got excited....

Streamline the bra section and make bras without foam padding, reduce the number that cut across boobs diagonally, not everyone is the same shape. Use more cotton fabrics and stop putting sweaty Lycra in the cotton knickers.

Tidy up the stores, every one I have been in for the last 5 years has looked like a jumble sale with random items all over the place, especially in the lingerie section.

Organise the tills so that customers can find them without needing a map and compass.

Reduce the salt content of the food and remove palm oil.

If you are going to keep Per Una then go back to the hippy/quirky look and stop making it like all the other boring and unwearable clothing.

I don't wear wool or any other animal yarn, makes me itch, so more acrylic cardigans would be better for me, always struggled to find knitwear in M&S and I find cotton is too thick.

Older people don't always want ugly clothing, Edinburgh Woollen Mill does that, and not everyone wants chiffon and frills and dresses that look like nightwear that ties up under the tits. Get some new designers, or maybe get the old ones back that made it work.

The blogger Liberty London Girl wrote a piece a few years ago now about it - and a lot of it still very relevant now. Worth a read www.libertylondongirl.com/2016/01/09/fashion-news-whats-going-on-at-marks-spencers-fashion/

I used to shop at M&S fairly regularly, including underwear. I stopped 6 years ago when I saw a photo of myself in a badly fitting bra M&S top. I got measured at Bravissimo and discovered my bra size there made me look less like a sack of potatoes and was quite a bit out from my M&S size. I now buy most of my clothes from Bravissimo and a couple of other lines where I know the sizes are likely to fit.

I'm breastfeeding at the moment and am trying to find some knee length, low v-neck or wrap dresses with short sleeves for wearing over the summer. M&S (and, to be fair, most other retailers) are mostly selling high necked clothes it'd be impossible to easily get my boobs in and out of.

I'd go back to M&S if they sorted out the bra fitting, stocked clothes that were well cut and flattering, and also had more of what's practical rather than what's fashionable.

It's just all too expensive, and Per Una used to be a usp as lovely clothes.
Now, you need to be 70+ to buy their clothes.
I'm nearly 52 and I won't touch their clothes now.
The underwear is good quality but once again very expensive and not very stylish.

Stock. So many sizes out of stock online. Girls summer cotton party dress I randomly clicked on 6 sizes out of stock. This is the time to be selling lots of summer dresses but no one can buy them if they are not in stock.
When I have occasionally seen something nice for me size out of stock and trying to order in store not possible as not in stock in warehouse.

Set to fire to everything in the Per Una range 🔥 and most of Indigo. Use the saved space in store to stock a better range of quality staples in decent fabrics. Reduce the product ranges to fewer lines.

I like M&S but I feel they've kind of lost their way - introducing branded goods was an interesting move, but I think it wasn't thought through. Maybe they need to become more department store like?

Nightmansgerfan

Lots of lace trimmed and plain vests in new look yesterday

Oh yes, the 'mix and match wardrobe'!

They could do it in, say, five different colourways, which all tone, then display in all variations. Make it in really good, natural fibres - it would help those of us who have no idea what goes with what to buy a smart wardrobe of clothes that all 'go'.

And the shoes too.

In food, they should sell meal kits - if they already do, they should stock more of them/more variety. Add coffee machines to the in-store bakery area.

Btw - what is the point of the Sparks card? I get more from thr loyalty cards at the Co-op for the occasional lunch purchased there and Boots where I sometimes order online and collect in-store.

I have to say most of the menswear looks dull, dull, dull to me but the suits are good.

I for one will happily pay more for decent basics. And by basics I mean cashmere, cotton etc but in plain classic styles. I have a beautiful wool skirt from M&S, it's years old but still looking good.
Doing ridiculous high fashion is not a M&S strength.
I can get fashion from Topshop etc.

Also making sure all sizes are in stock. I only buy M&S knickers and the times I have had to go to another store because there was no multi pack knickers in my size on the racks.
I don't buy bras because as a 30G I prefer Debenhams they are nicer and fit better.

I love the food and think it's reasonably priced. I want free range, decent ready meals etc. There are already cheap supermarkets and they are not for me.

I also love some of the homewares. Our sofa from M&S is getting on a bit, yet as good as new.

I also appreciate that M&S tried to keep it's manufacturing in the UK long after many others had departed. It would be brilliant if that could reversed!

Good thread op, hopefully someone with influence will read it.

Personal shoppers/stylists in store too.

I also want to be able to pay easily. I hate having to wander round like you are an inconvenience when you want to pay for something. Two till points in a huge area,?one of which will inevitably be closed.