I think the division between web and high street shoppers is part of the problem - there's usually some nice stuff on the website, and I like the landing page's daily feature item from across the range, but none of that nice stuff is making its way to the bricks and mortar stores in the regions, so the everyday impression of M&S remains frumpy skirts-purple sarongs-Rosie for Autograph-asexual Blue Harbour knitwear. My local store, the only one in the county, was rearranged recently (Per Una lost some floor space, finally) but there's still nothing I want to buy outside the knickers and beauty section.
it's like the jewellery, which I have a soft spot for. On a display rack, the massive perspex necklaces look unwearable, but if they were styled on a dummy wearing Autograph or a more ambitious outfit, shoppers would get the whole look and might think, Oh, ok.... But they never are, because in my M&S, all you can buy are velour joggers and bland work trousers and the displays reflect that.
But there was much talk of 'we're listening to customers and going back to basics' in that Au Revoir Alexa news yesterday, so who knows. Fingers crossed.