M&S - it's over

[Floisme]

I've been known to defend M&S on here but if this is their attitude they can fuck right off.

www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/05/not-just-for-over-55s-ms-chairman-says-chain-needs-younger-clothing

Because of course the over 55s just loved The Pink Dress. And all that yellow. We can't get enough of it.

No, Mr Norman, you haven't been 'buying too much for the over 55 customer'. What you've been buying, is too much shite.

Per Una was for the younger customers and M&S classic for the older frumpy ones. That's what I thought anyway.

Excuse me but older women don't want frumpy clothes either.

I had birthday money to spend in M&S today and came out with just a pair of pyjamas. I'm 40+ and have always shopped at M&S-they were the best for lingerie, sleepwear and clothing basics, such as black/grey/navy jumpers. Trouble is, now you can't get matching knickers for bra's and if you can, they are Brazilian/shorts and therefore not ideal for my fat bum.
You can't seem to get knitwear basics any more in 'sensible' colours and they also seem to have attached strange patterns, lace or sleeve adornment to the T shirts etc.
I wish they would focus on target market, which is 40+ and great wardrobe staples.
The PJ's are fab though, I must say!

champagne yy The materials are often cheap and nasty, the designs are so so, the detailing is twee and the price does not justify the quality.
Sums it up for me.
I have a voucher, I will be spending it on their excellent food.
Op maybe Mr Norman thinks all women over 55 have dodgy vision and can’t see the utter rubbish he is pushing. Time to re-evaluate the buying team I think.

No. Nobody wants or needs frumpy clothes.

Per Una was supposed to be their 'Italian style' line - appealing to women who liked the trims 'n' flounces. The Indigo line was more Fat face. Autograph was classic workwear + a bit of weekend. Classic - just that.

Limited was supposed to be limited numbers, quick turnaround, more trend-aware.

I'm not sure you can put an age on it (I've always looked in Limited first and I'm not young) but the more 'trend-aware, quick turnaround, more disposable' thing is associated with young people who aren't particularly interested in buying clothes that 'last'. And you can sort of see why: when you're young, you're still finding out what your 'look' or 'style' is, what suits you, what doesn't, what will 'last', what is a passing 'trend'.

I went in recently looking for something my 81 year old mother would like - I'm afraid there was nothing suitable for her either as she's a woman who still likes to dress well and look smart even if she does happen to be old

I'm 59 ..I haven't seen anything apart from bras and socks and the odd pair of skinnies in M&S for years that I would buy. but when i was in my 30s ,( and couldn't afford it) , there were often things i liked .

My wardrobe is mostly Hush, John Lewis Kin and Collection, Seasalt ,Tu and H&M - until recently i'd be buying Boden but that's just gone downhill and even more expensive now

No we don't want Classics. I am 68 and wouldn't be seen dead in a pastel embroidered cardigan. I can't believe the way M and S continue to patronise and ignore a group who would spend money there but head off elsewhere (Joules, Seasalt and White Stuff in my case).

Limited was supposed to be limited numbers, quick turnaround, more trend-aware.

I like the limited collection. (Does it still exist?)
They've always done nice jumpers...

Per Una is just foul..I have never liked a single thing int hat range since it launched .. I do have a couple of 'Indigo' jumpers still and am pretty sure once bough an 'Autograph' thing..but cant remember what.

Actually their bras and knickers are not so good now either the last lot I got in John Lewis

I was in my 30s 20 - 30 years ago and used to buy clothes in M and S all the time - even Per Una.

He needs to look at what sold well back then. Obviously fashions change, but people always want good quality basics and styles that don't date badly.

I have bought a lot recently! In the summer 3 gorgeous midi skirts that all get a lot of compliments. A Rosie Loves bikini- fab quality.

Last week I bought a black cashmere cardigan and a brocade coat which looks a lot more expensive than it is.

But I agree there is an awful lot of shite.

I'm 56, and I can also confirm that very little of what M&S has done over the last few years has appealed to me. I want to buy their beauty advent calendar when it is released in the next few days which requires £35 of clothing or home purchases, and am struggling to find £35 of clothing that I want. I've also found sizing inconsistencies recently, which have made buying online very hit and miss.

I really like their children’s clothing and do buy my pants, but otherwise I never see anything that appeals.
I think if they focussed on quality rather than quantity things might improve. By all means be fashion forward, but the pink dress was such a fail. You could see what they were trying to do but it just fell flat!

I bought my swimsuit at M and S this year. It's easily the best swimsuit I've bought in years.

Indigo is meant to be their 'Seasalt', 'Fatface' sort of area.

Limited Collection is still there.

I don't know that all the shops do sell the full range.

It's hard for M and S though. their model is to try and cater for all the different 'types' of people in-house- even as the clothes market has increasingly moved towards brand identities - through these capsule areas. John Lewis has an easier job - it's a department store, so carries a lot of brands. That allows John Lewis to really focus their own capsules (Collection, John Lewis, Weekend, Kin) and carry a smaller, more focused, stock.

I really do love the John Lewis house ranges. Their cashmere is everything you used to expect from M and S.

Indigo has gone now.

I'm surprised at that. I always looked at Indigo and thought it was very M and S customer. It can't have been selling well. I clearly know nothing about the average M and S customer.

I often think that getting in some great stylists for their website photo-shoots would be money well spent.

Speaking of John Lewis, however, has anyone else tried the And/Or jeans? I really like them.

Its just womenswear where they are so completely useless though - the menswear and children's clothes are great, as are their women's underwear, tights and PJs. Nice high quality basics is what I would like from M and S, not high fashion shite.

"Its just womenswear where they are so completely useless though"

The last item I bought from M and S that wasn't underwear was a man's jumper - for me.

I don't want jumpers with 3/4 length sleeves, frills, bell ends, flounces etc. I want a jumper for the cold weather. Men's jumpers tick all the right boxes for me - and the sleeves are long enough for my long arms.

I wonder if the new CE realises that more women re buying from the men's department for themselves?

If I were in charge of M&S I'd:
Find a source of really good quality cotton and make some really good t-shirts that don't go out of shape or sag at the neck.

Do a range of plainish shirts in black and white and maybe a print or two - some in cotton and some in silk.

Make a range of these shirts which are a lovely cotton/silk mix, but in nice modern prints, and also plain.

Keep on selling jeans, as I think they do them pretty well, but sort out the black ones so they don't fade like buggery in the space of just a few washes.

Do a deal with a couple of classic brands (Levis maybe, Ralph L, Harris Tweed) and sell just a few of their pieces each season, which will become the basis for most of M&S 'fashion' advertising - brand name 'piece' paired with M&S basics.

Make far, far fewer items, but much better quality and fabrics. Pare everything back and produce an 'edit' each season.

And their PJs are shite now - hardly any actual cotton ones.

I don't see the problem with the article. He's right; they do need to attract the younger customer.

I bought a pair of leggings from M&S indigo range a couple years ago which were specifically tailored to fit a high waist and they were the best pair I'd ever owned. I went back this week to replace them but none were tailored but still cost the same so why should we pay a premium to M&S clothing if Sainsbury's non tailored leggings are half the price.

Im 33 and in go into m&s regularly. I buy kids clothes, underwear, home and beauty. I looked for some long sleeved jersey.tops last week.everything was shapeless and thin. I ended up buying in primark 3 tops in grey, teal and berry for £3.50 each, stretchy v neck nice thick fabric, exactly what I wanted. This really is something they should excel at.