what SHOULD M&S be doing?

[redhappy]

Apologies if this has been done before.

It seems a fairly universal experience to walk into a store and be totally disppaointed (putting it kindly!) by the clothing.

Just wondered what people think they should be selling.

I haven't really given it much thought yet, but I suppose a classic range a bit like white company but cheaper, a casual range like fat face or white stuff, I'm not sure about a work range, but also an evening range that's a bit like monsoon and also some less hippy more classic styles.

Dresses with sleeves!

If I was M&S, I'd be doing top quality basics. They should be the place you go to first for the perfect black trousers, fitted t shirts that flatter and last, shirts that are cut for women (possibly in bust fittings) in lovely cotton, jeans in body shapes etc.
Organise their stores properly so you can find things - I'm not looking in 4 diff places for trousers
Have actual stocks of sizes and listen to their customers about what sizes they have. 'ooh, we always sell out of xx really fast' means make more of them !
If they are out of stock in your size, the till staff should be able to order it for you there and then and have it sent to you for free.
Same with school uniform - they should have 'try me' sets of uniform on the shop floor with order forms so you could walk in, try the age 6 polo shirt on immediatly, tick it on your form, then if they don't have the colour you need, they'll send it to you.

simple basics like T shirts, skirts, trousers, jumpers, cardigans in a varying lengths, colours and shapes. Better fitting bras, good swimwear

I think their shops should be smaller, no need for so much stuff, I can't be bothered with looking through it all.

I went looking for a bra this weekend, didn't find anything I wanted to wear!

That's a really good idea about 'try me' school uniforms.

They used to do lovely perfumes about seven years ago. One was called Perfection and was lovely- but they stopped it.

Agree with CMOTD- flatteringly cut trousers and well cut basics for everyday.

Quality basics in solid colours.

Even their children's cloths have been vile patterns this year. For the first time ever 'i've not bought my daughter something from there but everything seemed to be in the pattern of 70's pub carpet or 60's psychedelia. Nice.

The adults cloths are worse from what i've seen but at 32, m&s isn't somewhere I shop for myself.

I find their clothes for older girls are dire! Chavvy designs and fabrics - let's have quality garments in classic, easy-to-coordinate colours rather than garish rubbish.

They used to be really good for quality basics. You used to be able to find, say, a navy lambswool jumper or a white cotton blouse season after season.

It wasn't cutting edge fashion even then (talking 70s and 80s here) but it was predictable and it was good stuff (though my rose-coloured memory may be playing up :o)

Now, everything seems to be just slightly wrong; the jumper has a weird bit of frayed applique shit, or the blouse is made out of a nasty fabric.

And the whole shop is a shambles of stuff scattered about willy nilly.

I go in, look about for a couple of minutes, decide I can't be bothered, and walk out.

I went into Marks when I was back in the UK this summer and found the majority of the clothes looked like they were aimed at the over 50s age group, and that was pretty much the only age of the clientele too. Certainly nothing there I fancied for myself.

1. Get known designers in to act as consultants. Designers should be strong in their area and able to steer the designs in the right direction. In return for their consultancy pay them well and don't confirm/deny any rumours regarding their consultancy.

2.Pay these consultants with the money they use to advertise on the TV. Give people what they want and they will get return custom and the repuatation will spread by word of mouth.

1. Retrain the staff to be friendlier and more helpful.

1. Start bringing a higher proportion of production/manufacturing back in the UK and help create jobs.

Basics good basics. Good t shirts, blouses, jumpers, plain good quality basics.

Give us the perfect trench, lbd, dress etc. keep them in range ( and stock) for several seasons. They sell out of the good stiff because they are spreading the cash across too many lines.

Its not hard really, get rid of all Tht bloody matchy matchy 50 year plus crap. A good mum coat would be nice ( rip off the merell one)

Oh yes, and (getting into my stride here) - I want suits with options. You used to be able to do pick and mix suits in M&S - I had a nice navy one where there was a dress, long skirt, short skirt, trousers, short jacket, long length jacket so you could put together different pieces for diff looks. Now you can't identify which things might even be the same fabric, and they never do them deliberatly.

The coats are rubbish now too - neither cheap and cheerful or more pricey and the sort of thing to last.

Shoes are OKish, but the ones offered in wide are often frumpy. And how about boots in diff leg widths - again, less is more. A perfect flat boot, medium and high heel boot in diff widths would be fantastic. Same with work type shoes - really comfy shoes that look nice in wearable colours in 3 widths.

Let me choose what goes with what.

Stopped buying for the children there years ago, because if you liked the dungarees, you had to have the plain white top that went with them - and pay more, obviously- when you probably have lots of suitable tops already and don't need another! Same goes for dresses with leggings, shirts with jumpers, tops with scarves.... It's kind of patronizing!

Also, sometimes I just want to buy ONE PAIR of children's pyjamas! Maybe a twin pack, but not eighty seven variations with short top, cropped bottoms, vest top, long bottoms (all of which probably say 'nightie night sweet dreams I am Hello Kitty or some such).

per Una is unbelievably fussy, and always looks exactly like everything else in Per Una. shoes are granny shoes.

the indigo stuff is the closet to normal, build on that!

I'd still be interested to know who you all think is getting right and they should try to be more like.

I agree with all the comments about classics and basics.

I like the Indigo children's range by the way. Haven't bought anything this year, but last autumn ans summer I got some gorgeous stuff for dd that's lasted really well.

Pragmatically, I would say their market is probably defecting to John Lewis, to a large extent. My mind's eye ur-M&s is the least Hotch Potchy of Boden combined with the less designer end of John Lewis.

On the topic of who is getting it right- for basics I would say white t shirt, knitwear, plain trousers, dresses etc The White Company does it well. BUT it is significantly more expensive than your usual high street t shirt etc. It's no cutting edge fashion but a decent basic that can be styled in many ways and suits a lot of ages. Also for basics that are plain and work in a lot of situations I like Me&em. Isabella Oliver does good basics as well- new name this week but I can't remember it straight off.

I like the basics in these shops for quality, wash ability and fit but they are comparatively expensive and for the last 2 Internet based.

Marks and spencer just seems a complete muddle to me now. You did used to be able to find basics that worked there but I just can't now. The clothes seem crammed in and I cannot see how they hope to sell to anyone under 60 at the moment. I will always have a soft spot for M&S but it really needs an overhaul.

NOT cutting edge....

Like others have said, basics. Just good quality stuff that I would pay a bit more for but that I could wear with other, more fashionable stuff. White shirts, plain t-shirts, plain jumpers. Instead you go in there and it's all weird stuff with sequins and frayed edges.

I agree with everything above. And scaling down the lines would maybe sort out the current plague of wildly variable sizing - presumably they have so many different suppliers that it's nearly impossible to get it consistent.

M&S's great strength is their loyal customer base and their buying power. They should be doing everything they can to claw back their waning reputation for quality - great value cashmere, proper cotton, decent leather shoes and bags, opaques that last. Let the supermarkets do cheap, and the fashion stores do disposable fashion. Buyers will always need a good pair of everyday black courts and the perfect simple grey cashmere jumper.

Instead of trying to cash in on celebrity designers, and coming out with glitzy, easily identifiable one-offs, M&S need whichever skilful backroom designers are cutting classic basics for Isabella Oliver/Comptoir des Cotonniers/the less frumpy bits of Boden. And for God's sake ditch the middle-of-the-road blanditude of Myleene, Twiggy, Dannii, etc...

steaming I totally agree with you about John Lewis. In my head, John Lewis Woman is exactly what I think M&S should be: a clean, unfussy basics line at reasonable prices. John Lewis's website goes a long way to presenting it in exactly the right way too - M&S website still isn't particularly conducive to happy shopping. It might be something do with the strained expressions on the poor models.

Although I agree the lines should be scaled down we still need the definition between older and younger womens clothes. I think they struggle at the moment because the line is rather blurred. The dress/skirt lengths are always that bit too long and fuddy duddy. Per Una was initially good for all age groups but it has definately gone the way of the 50+ lady now. As for the stuff that is supposed to be trendy its riduculous - no-one the older side of twenty would wear it. Also make pyjama tops that dont shrink to be half way up your tummy after the first wash.

I am also struggling with Oasis at the moment - for gods sake bring the hem's down - your customers are not teenagers and yes we have boobs!

I agree with good quality, classic and basic. I went yesterday for the first time in ages and was quite shocked at the rubbishy fabrics they're using. I bought nothing and haven't for years.
And I'm way over 50!