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.

Well I was an avid customer but now I am working for a pittance, robbed of my pension, having to work to live. My money, deducted from my wages since I was 16 towards my pension that should have been paid to me at 60 whereas I now have to wait until I'm over 66. Taken away with no notification.

It was fine when supermarkets only sold more basic items but even the budget supermarkets have fancier ranges now which are as good or better and a lot cheaper

Absolutely agree with this. They still see themselves as "a cut above" but many of the other supermarkets really have caught up and are offering fresh, quality convenience foods and treats 30 - 50% cheaper. It's not that M&S food isn't nice because it generally is but there's a tipping point when it comes to price and people start to feel that it's not nice enough for the what they've paid. It's not just the actual meals even things like biscuits, cakes and crisps. They're selling what is essentially own brand Hoola hoops and Doritos for more than the brand items cost!

Not read thread but there were some amazing ideas on another thread a while back. They even emailed top brass and got patronising batting off reply.

But.. I hate the fact all trousers are scattered around, they stop popular stuff but their website is crap.
I hate that you can't even browse the food except party food.

All they have to say is only available in store its so inaccessible and annoying

It seems that, going by what we have said on here, they could make a killing by introducing a round neck and a V neck cardigan, In lambs wool in a choice of say 12 colours. I could buy three without even blinking. Choice of colours over choice of ‘style’

^ This!!!!!!! I'd buy 3 colours straight away too, then 2 more for Xmas...

Quality, timeless, lined workwear pieces. Capsule wardrobe stuff basically!!

And this ^^

I'd love to be able to browse the food online and see what's docked in my local store (even if I couldn't buy the food online).
I also have a st michael top from charity shop that's so well-made and fits properly, far better than anything I've tried on in m and s recently.

Or even cotton scoop necked t shirts long or short sleeves would be great as the crew necks are awful

*stocked, not docked

I am another poster who emailed them to make a suggestion and complain and had a reply email saying they know what their customers want.

I'd like - assistants who don't apologise for asking another assistant to serve me. If you see stocking or tidying a shelf as more important than serving a customer then I'll go elsewhere.

• bra fitters who are kind, not rude and don't rush one.

• bring back garlic and herb crisps and strawberry and cream Colin caterpillars.

• plain cream t shirt please. You're doing loads of colours, some horrible, but not cream.

Look at what Boden are doing in easy to wear dresses.

oh and employ Bravissimo staff for bra fitting

Fed up with all the variation in sizes. Buy an item in two different colours and one can fit and the other totally different. Surely the places that manufacture have measuring tapes and an inch is an inch no matter which country making the clothes. Far too many slight variations, look at the website and scan jeans, there seems to be hundreds. Yes older people do want to be fashionable and can be achieved by cutting out the horrendous colours that are supposed to be "in as well as losing all the frills. M & S was always regarded as a place to go for good quality staple outfits with just an edge for fashion. It's lost its way with too much of everything, reduced quality, hit or miss sizing and high prices.

While your at it check out Mint velvet too!

Smileplesse

Er I am 50 and wouldn’t be seen dead in their hideous frumoy clothes. As wouldn’t any of my friends.

I
Posted earlier that I had actually taken a pic of the sheer awfulness of the clothes in my local
New,state of the art store,I posted it on my FB and all my contacts from 16 to 80 years all agreed they were hideous.

I emailed the manager and sent that comments and was told ‘thanks but we know what our customers like’

What can you do.

Seems to me M&S have berm told again and again what is wrong with their clothes but for some reason they either can’t or won’t listen.

They will go the way of BHS,Woolies and ToysRus.

I can only assume the board are running the stores down for a reason.

Agree with much of what has been said already, really would be sorry to see M&S leave the High St but on current performance this seems increasingly likely as every season the same tasteless polyester clothes that nobody wants appear, you only need to look at the endless sale rails at the end of seasons to see all the clothes that haven't sold -I find it so frustrating that lessons aren't learnt from this!
I love clothes, but honestly can't remember when I actually found anything I would wear in the store except for a cashmere sweater or pants.
It's clear the design team needs to go and the ranges greatly reduced.
Most people want natural fabrics, well designed clothes to wear on a daily basis,with no frills cheap buttons trims etc in classic colours.
Please M& S listen to what your customers are telling you, oh and dump the Sparks card.

Ditch the ‘high fashion’ clothes and go back to basics and classics. Good quality trousers and shirts, tshirts that are long enough to reach your bum, jumpers and cardigans in nice non-itchy wool that are also long enough to reach your bum and not stop at the waist. Basic jeans, skinny and straight leg. Classic cut coats, thick jumper dresses, maybe the odd pretty (not garish) maxi dress in the summer. Ballet pumps, basic sandals and good leather boots.
Food needs stripping back - keep it nice and good quality but reduce the prices! Make meal deals more affordable to appeal to mass lunch time rush. Ready meals - put them on offer and make them affordable to appeal to workers and parents! Kids clothes are good, but prices a little high which puts me personally off.

BoneyBackJefferson

Can only say what dh says and he’s happy! Mind you his taste is dubious and he hates shopping so usually buys the nearest thing.

I had £50 spend on new pants a few weeks ago. Could I find multi packs in black in style I wanted in a huge store? No. Not even online. Very nearly gave up and resigned self to having go and buy black dye to do a big batch. But thought better of it, Just do all black all white or colours!

My M&S cafe is staffed with women who are totally perplexed at thought of actually providing coffee. It takes 3 of them about 15min to serve 3 people it can’t be that hard!

Tried to baby some baby cloths in white, didn’t have. Had sludge trendy grey or
Rainbow slush but not white.

There was a time, prob 10 years ago, that I could go into m&s and almost always I would find something I liked that was good quality...still have some of those clothes!
No longer thin, narsty fabrics, over fussy or frilly, drab colours...the list goes on.
Hardly ever buy anything in there now

Please could we stop posting about the over 50s.,it’s actually patronising and annoying to those of us who are 50 and funny enough don’t either look 70 or want to dress like 70.

Those clothes are hideous! My dm is 87 and no way would she shop there now.

Quite sad really

Yes the cafes service time is a joke - why?

I was in the bra section a few weeks ago, and a lady came in and asked if she could be measured.

"We have someone at 1;30 and no other appointments today" then she turned away.

The customer hovered and tried to ask again, but was brushed off, and she slunk away with her tail between her legs.

So easy to say "Oh I'm sorry madam, we run an appointment service with the bra fitte,r and we are fully booked today, would you like me to book you in for another time, or would you like to try on some styles in a few different sizes?" with a smile etc.

To be honest, Asda gets slagged off a lot on here, but every single time I ask for something in there I am given polite and good customer service, I know it is training and they have to do it, but they always:
-stop what you are doing and serve customer - always
-be polite and take the customer across the shop to the item they need.
-If you can't do it, be proactive about finding someone who can
-Smile and ask if there is anything else they can help with once they have found your item.

If asda can do it, surely M&S should do it better?

Take a good long look at what actually sells & keep selling it (i.e. don't discontinue the good stuff).

Sack your design team. They haven't got a clue. They may have a 1st class degree in fashion from St.Martins or the like but they REALLY haven't a clue.

I've thought for a while that the clothes are frumpy and overpriced. Even at my age I wouldn't wear them. Horrid colours, no style, rubbish materials. I bought a bra from them ages ago and didn't wear it. It was just really itchy
The underwear in John Lewis is much better.

Stop selling acrylic knitwear, nobody wants it.

I don't know why M&S designers can't learn from the likes of Boden.

I work with high earners in France and they can't get enough of Boden. We've discussed M&S and they all say that they find it frumpy and overpriced compared to Zara.

They're all prepared to pay more for Boden for the natural fibres and more flattering cuts.