MNers needed for exclusive 'behind the scenes' with key folks from M&S fashion - London Thursday 4 Dec - vouchers to be had! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We have been asked by the team at M&S to find 8 MNers to go along to an exclusive - invitation only - "behind the scenes" event at M&S Marble Arch on Thursday 4 December - this is a chance to chat to the design and buying team at M&S about their womenswear range this Christmas and to get some top advice on the range.

The event is open to existing M&S womenswear shoppers, those who used to shop there and those who don't use M&S for themselves.

The day will run between approx 9.30/10am until about 1pm and will include a delish M&S lunch.

The format will be as follows:

On arrival - you'd be asked to go ‘shopping’ around the store for half an hour and to select 3-4 items for yourself that you like and think you would buy.

MNers would then take these to the M&S press showroom to try on if desired and have the chance to talk to the M&S team about the items picked, whether having tried it on you would buy it and if not and why not. There will also be a chance to discuss what wasn't picked up and why not.

Belinda Earl - Style Director will be calling in and will chat a bit about how the business works, what she thought when she came to M&S, how she tries to make sure what M&S offers meets the need of all their customers.

This will lead to an open discussion with other members of the M&S senior womenswear team about MNers top 3 loves and hates about M&S, what your ideal M&S would look like/sell, what are your favourite shops, what is most important to you in clothing. The group will also ask MNers - if MN ran the Womenswear business what 3 things would they do?

The event will have a Christmas theme - with a showcase of party and event clothing for women and some of the kids/mens too as well as lingerie. And of course - some of the Christmas food and drink will be served!

Travel costs can be covered.

As a thank you for attending you will be given £50 of M&S vouchers - which can be spent on the day or afterwards

Those attending will be sent a list of questions, loves and hates submitted by MNers and asked to think about them during the discussion

In return we'd need you to post your feedback on the event to a thread on Mumsnet. We'd also like you to take some photos during the day and to add these to the thread.

Please note, M&S may well use your comments from the thread, from the day, photos, and photos they take at the event on their website, and possibly elsewhere - please only apply if you're happy with this.

If you'd like to attend please add your details here and we will be in touch with selected MNers shortly

If you can't attend but would like to submit a question for the M&S team - please add them here - no guarantee it will be asked but we will ask MNers to include as many as possible.

Thanks
MNHQ

Eight peoples not many is it? I think I will be too nervous to speak up.

M&S got too complacent and it has come back to bite them on the bum. Shame fewer bums are covered in M&S pants.

I tried to buy a bra. Assistant made a very personal and rude comment about my breasts. Another sneered "we can't stock every size, madam". I am a regular size ie not AAAAA or KKKK.

I just don't even bother looking any more.

Profit warnings - when there are announced it is like it is our fault for not shopping there and with no realisation of why profits are down ..

M&S can't trade on past reputation for much longer.

Can't go, as some of us work full time! I would have loved to take part in this though and this is what I would say:

First and foremost - get the basics right. Be the kind of place where we can always find good quality plain t-shirts (not the horrible short, square ones you usually sell). Use natural fabrics for these basics -97% cotton and a bit of lycra is far, far better than endless polyester.

Do fewer items, but in a range of colours (and not just bright orange and those awful old lady blues) and lengths. I'm so fed up of seeing shoes I like that are only available in wide fit, or a dress I like that is a foot too long for me.

Stop trying to do loads of different ranges and instead concentrate on being the place when I can get such things as:

a perfect black pencil skirt for work
a great pair of jeans (the jeggings come close to this tbh)
a jumper that I love so much that I want it in three different colours
lovely nightwear (I am a grown woman: I don't want nightwear covered in teddy bears or cupcakes or whatever the heck else)

I think you are best at shoes (Autograph insolia), leather boots and the Rosie underwear range. Everything else is inconsistent at best and bloody awful at worst.

There is a reason why there are always racks and racks of Per Una sale stuff - it's because most of it should never, ever have been 'designed' (ie dreamt up in the head of a drug-riddled lunatic) at all.

I work full time! Not all of us have 9-5 jobs!

I don't think 8 people is a good number at all to get a true picture.

Some proper stylish leather goods wouldn't go amiss.

I WOULDN"T BE NERVOUS

Ooh i was thinking about this thread in Marble Arch today

DROVE

ME

NUTS

I can get a day off work and go...
M&S need to stop trying to be all things to all women. They are all over the place which is evident as soon as you walk through the door.
They need to focus on good quality basics at affordable prices instead of range after range. There should be a big per una bonfire to banish it once and for all.
The website needs some work and stock levels need attention. So often things are sold out and they do not seem to restock.
The things I like best are Autograph shoes and boots, leather bags, cashmere and rosie underwear.

Marks - pick remus and I. We are no stranger to a strongly held opinion.

but you need to pay our works to cover us

and me #grammarfail

:) I like your thinking!

Oh I'm off! And I have the next day off to recover if anyone wants to go for a drink after

Blue you are so right re the all things to all women quote.

And remus it's true re nightwear teddies etc. I got my mum a pair of pj bottoms last Xmas I saw her recently and she said she'd prefer if they were longer in crotch and with wide waistband, we were in sainsbos at the time. Came across the said pair of pj bottoms in sainsbos!

Whenever I go to my local store it looks a mess. There used to be a point 15 years or so when some friends and I would happily find a nice top there now I wouldn't even touch it's once decent exercise wear as I can get better and cheaper at H&M etc.

Remus - your points mirror the ones I made in my survey, although I do like some of Autograph bags.

I'm not going for the vouchers, as £50 isn't enough of an incentive, but because I actually care about the brand. Mainly as the food is fantastic, and the staff at my local M&S stores have always been so kind to me, esp when I have been w my little ones.

Survey?

I think the food isn't as good as it used to be, tbh. And they seem to have stopped making/stocking leek and gruyere tarts, which were the best ready meal EVER. :(

I do still like M&S - I think their tights are brilliant, most stuff is good value, and some of the quality is still good, but it annoys me that they seem to repeat the same fundamental mistakes, over and over again.

Oh and can whoever goes ask them why they insist on making their stores so HOT - I was virtually naked after I'd finished shopping in the Solihull branch yesterday - kept having to strip layers off. It was like a sauna.

i stopped shopping in marble arch yesterday and just dumped my bag of stuff - TOO HOT

It's not that amazing that most of us are saying the same things, what is incredible is that M&S head office staff have not cottoned on to this . Everyone I know that has worked for M&S has been an M&S customer too.

Agree about stock levels too. Just today, I wanted school trouser for DS1 - out of stock in all styles in his size/colour. Also wanted matching pants and crop tops for DD's Xmas stocking. No matching styles or sizes. Tank tops for the men's Xmas pressies - lambswool or merino in nice colours please? No. Cotton, yes, but it's winter

That's £100 I spent elsewhere.

The bras are weird sizes. And the fitters get it wrong every sodding time. Sorrelforbes or another bra interventionist neeeeeeds to go and take a tape measure with her. Marks and sparks should hang their heads in shame at the bras they 'fit' customers in.

I'm a 30E - why do all your bras start at 32? I'm a size 8 - that's normal right? Also, I see a nice jumper on the rack, I look and there's a bloody great bow on the front or some silly sequins.......oh sod it let me do the survey! Got lots to say as i really want to shop in Marks' but rarely find anything I like apart from some boots are nice and I like some leggings/treggings

Culottes? really? Just No

I would have done it - but would need to catch a train at 5.42am to get there in time. Too early.

I'll post questions on the link though.

I've put my name down - they are so frustrating and am sure the quality has declined.

I'm a size 8 too HeeHiles and find their 8s are either massive or non-existent. When I last tried to buy a bra there, and told the sales assistant I was 28F... she looked at me and said "you're not Jordan, you know" and recommended I try a 36B

And yes neither myself, my mother or my mother-in-law would buy Per Una clothes.

Ooh, yes please! ??

My thoughts on M&S echo exactly those of Remus and BlueEyedWonder. The brand has no focus, has way too much reliance on man-made fibres and don't even get me started on the hell that is their website. It is impossible to browse as there is just too much choice.

The only thing I regularly buy from there clothes-wise is school uniform and tights. I probably buy a few groceries every week or so.

M&S should be a Great British brand but they fall woefully short of this title.