I used to like M&S but I'm not surprised they are struggling to sell womens clothes, WARNING MAY BE UPSETTING

[Behooven]

Says it all...

I have said to my dc if I ever start to shop in per una then shoot me .i have a memory of a particular cardigan with sort of stripes which had " fun ' buttons on .
Fun .
Buttons .
To show how edgy or fun you are .
Buttons of different colours and shapes .
It feels difficult enough getting older trying to shop without per una making women look rather insane .

Does anybody from M&S Customer Relations ever read these threads /posts or do they think it's beneath them to do so... why would you want to know what your customers views on your stores are.
There are always threads on Mumsnet re M& S ( and Tesco) but nothing changes.
Yet the management could get great insight in their customers mindset for free ( and not have to pay consultants huge money for the same information)

Well ginorwine It would be the customer choosing the item. I've liked and bought Per Una jeans for a while now, they're good quality and fit me well. No one makes us buy weird stuff rubbish do they?

I like Per Una Roma rise, they fit me. I find it really hard to find comfortable trousers.

I was in the Marble Arch branch yesterday and it wasn't too bad. I managed to find a cotton rich polo neck in my size not available online. Not sure about polo necks, get a strangling sensation.

Went looking for thermal vests for 8yo dd today, in a huge out of town store. Would have accepted any vests in her size, or even the size above. Nothing.

There was a pair of boys' plain white vests in size 11-12. They were literally the nearest substitute I could have gone for. Astonishing.

Yes CadburysTastes I went into (admittedly a smaller mainly food shop) but they had kids school clothes and I asked about vests for our GD and was told to go online. Which is stupid of them because -

1. I may not have been online at home.

1. They lost a sale.

1. Impulse sales must count for a lot of sales in those type of shops. Why not keep a full range rather than a mini range?

I feel sorry for the staff in M&S - whenever I go in there always seems to be some honcho from the Head Office Display department in flouncing around criticising the displays - usually has a team of anxious looking staff members with clip-boards following in their wake (and a few part-time sales assistant rolling their eyes when they've gone past). I get the sense they are under the cosh. And, yes, the SHORTNESS of the shirts/jumpers/T-shirts - if it's a cost saving device it's not working because I never buy any of those items anymore and I used to buy lots of their T-Shirts.

Yes burnthesprouts And those horrible tight, short little T shirt sleeves!!! I sleep in Tshirts and only like the roomy ones. I hate T shirt nighties in polyester so I have to buy the best organic cotton ones which tend to be made better.

Hollyisalovelyname - you're right and I have made the exact same point myself on several mumsnet m&s threads over the years. I can only assume that no, no one from m&s ever reads all of the free customer feedback because things just go on deteriorating in their stores. I would hate to see m&s disappear but I rarely buy anything there anymore. I want to buy value for money 100% wool jumpers in flattering shapes and colours from a high street shop - the sort of thing m&s did really well 20 years ago before they started making everything from acrylic.

Moonhare - I mentioned upthread that House of Fraser's Linea range has a good basic range of Merino work-friendly knitwear in sensible colours and a selection of seasonal brights in each season. They are usually available in the sale with 50% off too, although the sober colours tend to sell out fast.

Ref. the staff, did anyone notice that the check out people started actually CHATTING to you a few years ago? I said to them it sounds like you've all been REQUIRED to talk to the customers and they laughed and blushed embarrassedly!!! I felt sorry for them because it's fine if the customer WANTS to talk but not if they're in a rush or a bad mood!

There was one woman who was on the tills in Oxford St. and you couldn't stop her talking, it was too much!

What M&S used to give us was a great deal. For a reasonable price, you'd get well made clothes with good designs and using quality materials. On top of that the customer service was first class and if you had a problem, you knew you could take it back and they'd be interested in what had gone wrong (because it was unusual).

There was no internet and so they could guarantee that lots of people would visit their stores and they'd be able to shift whatever stock they took in - because it was good quality and a good price. And because they sold so much, they could keep costs down, enabling them to keep their prices reasonable. So, a virtuous circle.

I would be willing to bet that the current board would love to return to those days, but its so much easier said than done. So what can they actually do?

IMHO M&S could and should get rid of the hideous designs and awful layouts. They should re-focus on what made them their reputation. If they massively reduced the number of lines they carry but upped the quality and design, then they could take advantage of the customers, like us, who still remember their reputation. However, if they leave it too much longer, we'll all have moved on and won't be coming back.

Exactly right var

DS found his ideal leather jacket in M&S this week. It wasn't cheap, or in the sale, but it is perfect. I could hardly believe it.

I used to work with M&S in the 1990s and talked to most of their management over the years. So many of the really talented people who should be running it now were sidelined that they left to run the competition. Look at Winser London. She ran ladies knitwear and was a genius. Since then she has turned around Pringle, tidied up Aquascutum and there is rarely a day or an occasion when I could not find something perfect in her comparatively tiny range. M&S management need shooting re-education.

I stupidly went looking for some winter jumpers yesterday now the temperature has dropped. M&S are all spring weight ones now unless I want to spend silly money on cashmere (I love cashmere but refuse to pay that much for it and detest having to wash it as it makes the house smell of wet dog). I casually mentioned this when I purchased 3 thermal tops and was told "you need to buy them in November, we don't sell them in January". Honest to god I want to buy things when the temperature is appropriate not because some marketing muppet has decided its Spring

I have a lovely calf length merino cardigan and matching skirt that I've had for maybe 14 years from M&S. Still as good as the day I bought it. I want more of those and the lovely dress & cardigan combo in merino wool that I had from around the same period.

RomComPhooey Good shout on Linea at House of Fraser as I've ordered 3 merino jumpers from the sale this morning!

cressetmama - thank you - been onto Winser London website and bought a few things last night!

Also, I think there's a presumption about ladies aged 50 years and over. M&S seems to think that we're not interested in clothes and should all be wearing elasticated slacks, etc. When I venture into an M&S store with my DD (which isn't very often) - she refers to that part of the shop as the Granny Zone. Sad thing is that I think M&S presume I should be shopping there. Until they get their heads around the issue of actually providing what their customers would like to buy rather than arrogantly thinking what we should buy, their sales will continue to fall. It's so obvious but they just don't seem to get it. The words head and brick wall spring to mind

I'm trying to imagine the argument with Tesco security guards, trying to pop in for a loaf of bread wearing those "PJ style" clothes. The concept of clothes that look like pyjamas without actualy being pyjamas would make their heads explode. Would you be allowed in or not?

Oh Lordy. My friend has those trousers.
She also has a lot of ... Interesting looks.

Ps. Said friend is 34. Not the 50+ age range previously speculated upon....

casper how do they look IRL?

I'm guessing like Muriel and her best friend doing Waterloo in the holiday talent show in Muriel's Wedding, but I could be wrong.

Really very very bad. Like pyjamas with less style. Also unflatteringly cut so as to be too right across the belly and thighs if you have any curves.

The pyjama outfit - whatever were they thinking? Is it someone's idea of a joke? Is there a little huddle of designers doubled over by the water fountain, still laughing their little socks off that their joke design actually got put into production and placed in the stores? Do they have tears running down their faces as they plan something even wackier?

The thing is... I think sometimes M&S tries too hard to be inspired by catwalk fashion - like those hideous patchwork flares: I had no idea they were Tommy Hilfiger rip offs! But some catwalk trends just don't translate to the average high street rail, or the average high street shopper, who don't recognise them anyway.

Per Una Speziale, though. That's all designed by Nancy dell'Olio and her crazy friends over lunch at San Lorenzo.

Thanks for the Winser London/Jaeger reminders! Some lovely things in the sale on both sites. WHY can't M&S make clothes like that but slightly cheaper