So when is M and S actually going to improve?

[Orangeanddemons]

Because it hasn't yet. They have the odd Cos type thing in Autograph, but the rest is dire, just dire. And the older girls is also dire. Drab, dull, boring safe and polyester.

Is it really going to ever up it's game?

Today's M&S sales tweet pretty much sums up for me how utterly out of touch they are with their market - it's a brilliant white jacket that looks like something a lab technician would wear, and they think it'll 'see you through spring'. WHO is buying white coats from M&S? And in this weather? Apart from Liz Jones?

ARGH.

Show me a pretty belted mac, or a neat swing coat in cheerful colours. Not something that'll be into Sketchleys after one wear.

Another one frustrated with m and s.

Their bottoms seem ok (jeans, jeggings, basic skirts, there are even some nice shorts that'll do for the summer) but I have a wardrobe of well fitting bottoms and no decent tops to wear with them.

Went today specifically to look for tops. I have lost loads of weight recently and have no tops that fit. M and s is full of tops in garish colours, with pictures of animals or over the top embellishments. There were loads of those tops where the back is longer than the front so I tried a couple on. The size 8s were ok but absolutely swamped me so I couldn't buy any. I am definitely bigger than an 8. Worst of all I took a quite plain looking top into the changing room and when I got there noticed it had a row of hideous gold studs up the back, I looked like a bloody dinosaur!

Frustratingly I walked out with a pair of very nice jeans only £19.50 but no tops.

The last time I was in m and s it seemed that all the stuff for 7 year old girls was covered in pictures of 1 direction.

It shouldn't be easier to find a plain long sleeved top for a child in h&m or Zara than m&s. at the other end of the scale john lewis wasn't much more expensive.

Also it took about 5 minutes to find the socks.

I really like it atm. have bought a few things from the limited edition grey skinnies and a grey silk t shirt. Was in there yesterday and lots of nice shirts and a few jackets

Oh god yes to the navigational hellhole that is Edinburgh Princes St store. Absolutely diabolical. The underwear section in there is a sea of blandness too, beige central. And that's before we mention their fitter who was falling out of her own bra

I go through the Bluewater branch quite often and despair at all the dull dull colours and styles. What always gets me about that particular store is they have a mirror at the side of the pay desk with a column in front of it and no room to move to look in it.
I've never been a fan of M&S shoes as their sizing is odd and never fits me but I used to be able to find something in clothing that I liked but it's getting rarer and rarer. Like one of the earlier posters I'm in desperate need of some new tops but I'll just need to look elsewhere I think.

Their baby girls clothing is really beautiful and not too reliant on pink, but I've not bought and adult clothing from them in ages- the last pair of cords I got went horribly baggy around the arse after a few washes. And I don't get the labels-within-labels either- I haven't got the time to comb the whole shop just to look for a skirt I like!

I know people who think per una's lovely.

Some bits of the Indigo section are quite nice - but not nice enough, or any cheaper, to make me want to go and do any shopping in M&S. Why would you, when at best some bits of Indigo are vaguely comparable with all the stuff in other shops, where you don't have to queue round the block?

They're also shit at having sizes in - particularly small. There are rows and rows and ROWS of black tights - but they're all medium and large; some nice-ish jumpers, but mainly in a size 16 and above. Not that there shouldn't be those sizes, but it seems disproportionate.

perhaps an M&S employee reads the thread as the loos smelt fragrant in my local branch today.

I also received very good customer service at the return counter today. :)

A few weeks ago i went to M and S and found a sort of Scandinavian earth mother-ish shirt with a pattern of little flowers and birds on it, which I liked so much that I bought two of it. This is, however, the first item I have managed to buy there for ages. I keep trying to buy basic jeans to fit a small waisted big hipped short size 12-14, but they all gape at the waist. The thing that winds me up most, though, is the underwear, and especially how they won't do bra fittings without an appointment even if they aren't busy. The last twice I've wanted a bra fitting for me or a daughter we've gone down the road to House of Fraser and got fitted at once with no trouble and spent shedloads of money there - surely they must lose loads of business with this attitude?

I bought 3 bras recently. One had one cup that was too small by about 3 sizes- the cheeky fecking assistant told me I should've tried it on first. The other two lasted 2 wears and 6 wears respectively. In both the underwire broke in the middle. They lasted less than 2 months. I took the wire out of one and it was so ridiculously thin.

T shirts are too short then shrink upways and bag outways.

My 74 year old mother and MIL who are M &S stalwarts have given up.

They are still putting ok clothes through the bling machine and ruining them.
DS is 5 and the odd thing I've ever bought for him shrinks and/or goes bobbly.
I used to despair now I just can't believe they are still trading.

Fluffycloudland do tell us.
Who could possibly like Per Una?
Their designers

I darent. Per Una is said with a nod of the head too.

Knickers are great. Fodd's excellent....I have a 13 yr old who only eats M&S

Bras are not good... Clothing generally frumpy (still) IMO

Food. Food, damn it!

Food has some very good points. Fruit and veg consistently good. Some of their salads good too.and basics such as freshly squeezed OJ and bacon.

But they tend to the bland - eg, cheeses very boring and untasty - and most of their stuff is ready meals of various kinds and my DH won't eat ready meals of any kind!

I have no idea who their demographic is. Like many others on this thread I'm in my 50s and the only things I buy there are food ( occasionally ) and some school uniform.

I just checked my wardrobe ( for the purposes of this post ) and found one pair of M&s shoes from about 5 years ago and some knickers of a smilar vintage . That's it. Nothing else.

I could feel myself actually getting cross with them last week when I was in there. There was absolutely nothing. And I was in the Marble Arch store so ostensibly their flagship. I want decent basics for work. I do not want v neck sweaters in various shades of horrible pink and cashmere sweaters with 'love' written in red diamanté.
I bought knickers and tights.
And don't get me started on the poor woman looking for maternity tights. Nude only and in about two sizes. If there's one thing you should be able to get in M&S - it's tights. Grrrrrr

The food is good, however everything else leaves a lot to be desired. What I want to know is who exactly is Per Una aimed at? The only person that I know who buys any of it is my 86 yr old grandma when she's wanting to look funky

Unfortunately M & S want to be all things to all people and fall short of pleasing anyone in the clothing department. I just wish that they would go back to making good quality basics in decent colours and leave the lilac, sugared almond pink and powder blue behind.

Tis a pity as they are doing far better than most companies at being a responsible retailer plana.marksandspencer.com/about

The only things I've bought recently are the multi pack of lace edged Brazilians.They are so skimpy compared to previous ones bought there.Sainsburys are much better.Bra(couldn't find my size so had to get a bigger size).Stretched dramatically and now straps keep on falling down on the tightest setting.Why are all the bras b and c when according to the bra intervention most people are at least d cup(if small) and lower than a 36 band.I could only find d cups in 36 and above band size.

Teta - it's so they don't have to stock as many sizes, it keeps their costs down. Also, someone on here once suggested that the sight of any cup size bigger than a D might be deemed offensive to some of the M&S customers...

The Rosie for Autograph undies are nice.
The Cut Flowers room diffusers are nice.
Everything else in my local M&S is so bland, I can't even tell you what's in there - my brain registers it as 'slacks for my mum... bootcut mum jeans... Bet Lynch leopardprint faux wrap dress...' and skids straight past.

Mind you, the Marcel Wanders range is completely, joyfully bonkers and is either a dare or an EU tax loss initiative.

Looking at the clothes I've bought recently, the typical Autograph 'staples' - plain blue t-shirt, cocoon coat, black skirt, black dress - have all come from the Mary Portas range at HoF. Most of that range makes you look like a Mary Portas impersonator, but the basics are good quality and well made and very cheap in the sale.