Marks and Spencer's

[Daisy03]

I don't want to get into the whole debate of whether lockdown is right or wrong!

But aren't M&S taking the piss and bending the rules by keeping stores fully open.
I understand yes the food hall, but most of these are in separate rooms or floors and could be easily split off.
I understand they're struggling but to me it's a bit of a kick in the teeth to those smaller and independent shops that are also struggling but following the rules. What's to stop some of them selling something essential so they can open, and then why bother closing any retail or claiming to be in lockdown at all?

@Requinblanc

Then don't shop there...

I am very pleased that M&S have taken this decision. Once you go into a shop which is allowed to open because it sells foods I don't see any problem with them keeping all their items available to the public including clothes. Won't make a blind bit of difference.

I am sick to the back teeth of the government telling us what is essential and what isn't and of people who think they are here to police the rules on their behalf...

You can opt to stay home for a month and not shop anywhere. Problem solved.

Very well said! 👏🏻

All shops should be open regardless of what they stock or which service they provide. Hair salons, nail salons and tattoo studios bent over backward to follow 100% of covid regulations, and often only have two or three customers at a time. Yet thousands trundle through supermarkets every day. Thousands sit in classrooms every day. It's ridiculous and it needs to stop. A hair cut or tattoo might not be deemed essential but I guarantee the income of the people who work in or own those small businesses IS.

*as in the closure of shops needs to stop!!

Perhaps getting my depressed dh out of the house for an hour and thinking of positive things was the reason for us going to the shops.
God forbid that you consider the huge damage this may have caused to others.
Let’s all sit in and think about how shit life had become.
I can guarantee if we do you will see an enormous strain on the NHS as people begin to take their own lives.
Anyway I’m leaving this thread.

How's it any different to other supermarkets that are in essence one stop shops?

How will you feel if these all close non essential aisles and lockdown doesn't end until say March 21?

@Charleyhorses

If they can open fucking garden centres then why not? I cannot think of one essential item our local garden centre sells. A few trees and shrubs/compost and bulbs. Acres of seasonal tat, clothing concessions and wellies. If we are not supposed to be doing non essential journeys or shopping that one has me stumped. Utterly.

Pest control stuff including rat traps and poison, fencing (much needed after recent storms), tools (my neighbour had a big branch blow down and had to go and buy a saw) - and that's just a start.

In P.....k customers were behaving very selfishly...the staff were fighting a losing battle getting them to understand the rules...the fact it was open was a green light for a social shopping trip with friends and family together...4 family members thinking because they are in a bubble it was ok to share baskets and forget what was in there..hence leaving it when in reality handling stuff you didn't expect to buy was not supposed to happen. Stock being wheeled around on pushchairs when we were not meant to handle stuff that had been contaminated outside of the store, customers are not permitted to try stuff on and if seen doing so the garment should be quarantined...social distancing what a joke! People unable to wear a mask properly, children sitting on the counter fingers and faces everywhere (1 toddler taken out of her pushchair to stand with her little hands all over the spit screen, I did say and the mother shrugged)...so many cash transactions when contactless preferred signs at the till...these people often paid part cash (including coins that they want to count into my hand) part card so it wasn't because they didn't have the option...I could go on...this time off came in the nick of time for my sanity if nothing else

whsmith
m&S
timpson
wilko
hotel chocolate
b&m

all open and serving

the PM did say that this lockdown was different - he was corrects

its lockdown for the small business

best thing they could do is start selling cleaning products

The NHS should be able to cope without the country going into lockdown. This government and their predecessors
have squandered the money.

how does money stop NHS staff phoning in with a positive test and having 50% of the staff in an operating theatre of SI

Im all ears for the explanation

I’ve just started a job at a hospital and there are 6 people in my department alone that are in quarantine or outright have COVID. And I’ve only been there a week!

Clothes are essential...

Sainsburys has just done a big promo to get people to double their nectar points for a lot of "non essential" categories. obviously planned before the shutdown was announced but i for one will kick off if I can't buy the perfume and homeware things I've planned on using my vouchers for.

What’s unreasonable is M&S not doing 3 for 2 on their Christmas cards and wrap this year. That’s unreasonable.

My input is lighthearted btw...

@Charleyhorses

If they can open fucking garden centres then why not? I cannot think of one essential item our local garden centre sells. A few trees and shrubs/compost and bulbs. Acres of seasonal tat, clothing concessions and wellies. If we are not supposed to be doing non essential journeys or shopping that one has me stumped. Utterly.

Coal, gas and wood for people who rely on them for heating their homes? Not everyone has central heating, and even if they do, they can't always afford to run it.

Our boiler is knackered and while we're sourcing a new one, we have no central heating - our only means of heating our home is a wood burning stove at the moment. I'm glad our local garden centre is still open so we don't have to sit home and freeze!

Far more effective to close schools, but people didn't want that.

Closing non essential retail & hospitality is far less effective, but something has to give.

...and the vast majority on here wanted the schools to stay open

You can't have it all, unless you want ZER0 capacity in hospitals for anything or anyone..

Clothes are an essential item imo. We all need clothes and shoes and I know the argument is always ‘lockdown is only 4 weeks’ but people often find themselves in a position where they need emergency clothing for one reason or another especially with children.

M&S are technically a supermarket (very snazzy one but yeah) so they can keep the clothing section open just as supermarkets are.

First lockdown M&S had basics in the queuing area. Plenty of shops have deemed themselves essential to try and stay open. Butchers, yes fine. Patisserie and coffee shop, not really.

Restaurants, cafes, coffee shops etc are all allowed to open for takeaway orders though. They’re not doing anything wrong

Totally need clothes at this time of year. I am bursting out of my jeans thanks to lockdown 2, kids need thermals just to go to school, not to mention new scarves, mittens etc as all are lost or we have just randoms. New shoes and boots will be needed soon. I need some new winter nightwear.

We can not do without clothing shops in the middle of what is shaping up to be a very cold winter!

Garden Centres sell Christmas Trees.

If that's not a lot more essential than Boots' make up, I don't know what is.

and Homebase, Aldi, Tesco, Asda.. will be selling trees as usual, so why shouldn't garden centres!

It's ridiculous to close shops which are covid safe. Most transmission occurs in the home, workplace and schools/universities. Close proximity for extended periods and poor air flow are the risk areas.

In Spain everything is open except bars unless they are also serving food which most do. There is a curfew between 11pm and 6am. All shops are open, it's no worse there than here.

@Lineofconcepcion

Maybe it depends where you are as my family in a village near Barcelona are back to proper
Lock down and can only go out to walk dog / food shop/ medical issue.... unless they are saying that to not come back for Christmas!!!

@OverTheRainbow88 yes it does, we are in Andalucia, but they've just stopped movement between municipalities yestrrday and the curfew has changed to 10pm - 7am, with the bars and restaurants shutting at 6pm 😣