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.

Thinking about what does work for a middle aged women in a professional job with some money to spend. I like LK Bennett but only in the sale. Their prices are too much but they seem to have been doing a lot of 20% off. I also like Jigsaw. Nice colours and not a great deal of frilling.

And another thing, do the refunds at the fucking till. I am so utterly over having to haul up to a pokey, hotter than Hades section of the store. Then stand in a bendy ropeline while Mavis goes through item by sodding slow item with the label at arms length so she can read it.

Meanwhile on the Collect counter behind, Beverley, Linda and Kevin are serving one solitary customer.

Hillingdon Hobbs, Ted, French Connection, Reiss, Cos and Massemo Tutti.

Think it has run its course, just like Woolworths and Bhs.

I have a lot of office basics from M&S but I tend to chance upon them because everything they promote tends to be to try to create a new IT dress. They need to focus on the basis and do them well. Next used to do this very well, they were the go-to place for office people, but the quality was shit. There is a gap in the market for go to office basics at good quality and reasonable prices. No handkerchief hems or glittery blouses please.

*basics

"Especially if he's short"

Or tall men. OH takes a 34" inside leg measurement (preferably 35" to allow for shrinkage), which isn't that tall. Most trousers I see tend to be 30". There must be an awful lot of very short men around. Even I take a 32" leg (and DD a 34" leg)

Go back to the underwear design before the new improved designed. Currently I won't buy any more knickers as the last pack had no give in the elastic and had a horrible plastic feel.
Also please make your basic t-shirts a half inch to an inch longer.

They need to bin all their separate ranges and just be M&S. Do the basics well under the one M&S range and keep it simple. Core basics. If people want slogans and embellishments and stuff covered in llamas they'll not struggle to find somewhere offering that - it just shouldn't be M&S. M&S should be the 'go to' place for basic wardrobe staples.

Before it hits production, run every item of clothing past MN for scrutiny. We promise to give our honest opinions.

We don't want hems and/or pockets at jaunty angles or clothes in strange colours. And improve the quality of fabrics and finish. We are fed up with shoddiness.

I have sent a link to this thread to M and S through Messenger on their Facebook page.

Just echoing what others have said:
go back to what you used to do best - good quality fabric that washes up well, good basic classic styles. Get rid of per una with all those horrible bows and glitter bits. Sack your women's clothes buyers.

Someone mentioned Next. I had just started my first proper job in 1982 when Next was established. The quality and the styling was great, especially for workwear. I think their stated aim was to be somewhere between M&S and Jaeger. These days it’s mostly cheap and nasty. There seems to be a race to the bottom with these big stores. (Wallis ditto).

...and I 100% agree about the new M&S knickers. I used to ONLY EVER wear M&S knickers but suddenly you changed the style and added horrible slimy stuff to the cotton. I now buy my knickers elsewhere. I will start buying M&S knickers again if you use pure cotton and have the old style.

...also I am agreeing about Wallis and Next.

Also, for the love of the Baby Jesus cease and desist adding a button and loop to the sleeve of perfectly lovely shirts. If I want to roll my sleeves up, I know how. I don’t need to look like a Nana, and if I have the sleeves down I don’t want a stupid button halfway up my arm.

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I bloody hate those button and tab sleeves.

To be fair, it's not just M&S that are obsessed with the things, I've lost count of the number of other shops that I've seen them in.

I hate those buttons and loops as well. Everyone seems to do them though. Not just M and S.

They used to be perfect for the basic white tee, and block colour tees on general not anymore.

When Per Una came in I was 20 and a student. Loads of us bought stuff there, bright young clothes, great jeans, and I had a lovely pink going out skirt that I felt a million dollars in.

Seemingly overnight, the frumpy, dowdy patterning from the rest of the store invaded per una and I've not bought a thing in there in many years.

When I did find a lovely dress once about 5 years ago now, it was £45 but made in Sri Lanka. I did have this pang that most of the price was profit and that the person who made it was likely paid buttons.

I also think the bra quality has drastically diminished and have a hard time buying my size

Agree with everything above. If I want a pair of trousers, I don't want to trawl around the whole shop in case I miss some in a godforsaken corner.
I'd love to be able to buy basic lined trousers.
They won't listen. The only thing I buy from M&S now is the Indulge diffuser set - gorgeous!

More well trained, knowledgeable, polite shop floor staff, less cheap, zany, fast changing stock.

If you're going to have collaborations, don't have them with Dalston hipsters like Alexa Chung. Very few people can pull off her style. I'm around her age and I wouldn't dress like her for anything.

However, if the Rosie for Autograph range were to expand into womenswear, I would be all over it. She has a classic elegant style without being too mature and she seems to place a lot of emphasis on good quality fabrics and cut. I've got several pairs of her silk pjs and a few lingerie sets as well, and I love them.

If M&S important people are reading this - when people say "it's too expensive" - that means "it's too expensive for what it is". £35 for an acrylic jumper with embellishment that's fashionable, but is designed to go in the bin after a few months is too expensive. £40 for a plain thin wool jumper that'll last 3-4 years is perfectly acceptable.

IF you are making your stuff out of crap and so competiting with H&M, New Look, Primark, Sainburys and Tesco, then your prices are too high. If you are competing with John Lewis, then they are fine.

Some people will only pay supermarket prices, so there's no point trying to win them over, they'll shop at the supermarket that has lower overheads than town centre shop.

I think the clothes might be beyond saving.

Food - stop making food that's glittery or looks like Santa hats or is flocked. Focus on what it tastes like first because the supposed fancy stuff is usually just vile now.