M & S closing more stores makes me not want to shop there. AIBU?

[Hetaera]

Just that really. I try and support Marks & Spencer and buy childrenswear, men's underwear, women's tops, lingerie and the food there. I'm not expecting a medal, I like the things there.

The news they are closing even more stores (I still miss the Basildon and Portsmouth ones dreadfully) makes me feel really disappointed in them. I know trading conditions are terrible, but it feels like they are giving up on small towns and the UK high street. Also, I feel so sad for the loyal employees.

I'd been planning on purchasing some new tops and shoes from M&S, but I don't really want to now. Am I being silly? My husband says I am .

Shake some sense into me!

It's a terrible dilemma, because for shoppers, going online is far more convenient than having to schlep into town, but if we don't do that, stores will continue to have to close.

That "schlep" is even worse when you find they don't have the size/colour you want in stock and you end up having to order it online anyway!

start spending it on fashion experts

For me, that's their problem! A revolving door of so-called "fashion experts" who breeze in, bring in their idea of what customers want without any research of the M&S core customer, then leave again. They need some long term designers/buyers who work around who their core customer is and what they want. At the moment, I really don't think they know who their customers are. I go into M&S stores whenever I see one in other towns but I honestly can't remember the last time I actually bought anything from them, not even underwear anymore - must be a few years now. Yet 20/30 years ago, I probably bought nearly everything from them. My OH used to buy all his work shirts, trousers and suits from M&S but again he's not bought anything lately - the sizings are all wrong - he bought two "identical" shirts (same range, same size, same fit, just different colours), one was too big, the other was too small, yet they were the same "size" as all the other M&S shirts in his wardrobe. Same happened to me with two "identical" pairs of jeans, one black, one blue - supposedly same size and leg length but you lay one on top of the other and the legs were at least 2 inches longer! Their quality control is really, really poor!

A revolving door of so-called "fashion experts" who breeze in, bring in their idea of what customers want without any research of the M&S core customer, then leave again. They need some long term designers/buyers who work around who their core customer is and what they want.

I doubt this very much. They have a large and very active insight department, and they will be doing a lot of research into their customers.

I suspect the problem is that they're still trying to please everyone - because they see their place in the high street as 'everyone' rather than being as focused as, say, Zara. As a researcher, I was briefed on a project for A N Other major high street fashion retailer (not too dissimilar from M&S) and when I asked who their target audience was (so that we could design an appropriate research study) they genuinely didn't know - they were aiming at all women.

Which is ludicrous!

You can see from the ranges I M&S that they put in store that they are looking at the latest trends - there are always pieces/designs/patterns that reflect that - but they don't ever seem to do it wholeheartedly, so it doesn't present a coherent sense of latest trends. But their designers/buyers are clearly aware of what's on trend. I'd guess there's a lot of tension between what the designers/buyers want to put in store and what the 'management' are prepared to buy!

I think that was what their Limited Collection was supposed to be, and then they seem to 'water' things down for the rest of their ranges.

But I agree with you about levels of stock being an issue (and it's only going to become more of an issue as retailers try and minimise the stock they're holding)

I can't understand how they can have a large insight department doing research, yet have no insight into what their customers want.

The clothes are clearly designed by someone who doesn't wear the clothes.

Example: nightdresses in soft jersey material that rolls up into huge uncomfortable rolls if you sleep in it. Obviously design team doesn't try product out themselves.

Example: Every top having frills when customers all say they want clean cut profile.

I don’t get your logic at all sorry.

It may be illogical to some but I agree op.

I supported the one in my local town but now I'm not seeking them out or buying by internet. Their website became unusable at one point and I'd stopped that anyway.

Shopping is a habit and my m & s habit is broken.

I get 20% discount there and only buy food.
They don't do a tall range .

I do fear for what our high street is going to look like in the future...
Seems to just be bookies, nail shops, Poundland and chain coffee stores in most town centres now which is very sad

Oh and Argos. Everywhere seems to have an Argos now, and a vaping shop.

It's really sad, I love M&S. Reminds me of my childhood, going to the cafe with my mum as a treat. And the food is still really good. Some of the clothes are fine, I'm nearly 40 and I don't want trendy. I have a lovely cashmere mix camel coloured coat I got for about £20 in the sale a few years ago - that's the sort of stuff they do well and should concentrate on. Ordered a coat in the sale this time and it was hideous, awful felt material and sludge brown colour when it arrived.

HRTpatch they do some tall clothes, I'm nearly 6ft and have swimwear and leggings in a longer range that fit well. Although it's not a specific range it is just within the sizes available amongst their normal clothing.

Our local store shut down and i've been thoroughly disappointed with the terrible quality damaged items they sent me through the post. It was a palava to return them and a real inconvenience not being able to try anything on. Unsurprisingly they also refused to publish my reviews.

I missed saying my nearest one has closed down. So that's that really.

Our food store is a joke, the majority of the food on the shelves is either out of date the day before (and I don't think should even be on the shelf), the day of purchase or the next day. When I have to travel into town I want food to last a few days so now there is little I can purchase. They're always sold out of bread and milk too.

They could appeal to "all" when they did quality timeless basics - sensible work clothes, black trousers, plain cotton jersey tops, short and long sleeves. That is what got me in the stores as a 23 year old city lawyer. Now they don't have the basics ad they keep ruining a classic ish thing with a random nod to fashion. So as a 37 year old mum/ receptionist I pick up the easy basics with my food shop and have no idea where I will go to get a mid range classic suit when my current ones wear out (or I lose the weight I'm working on...)

system not long enough for me

I think suits are not selling as they were perhaps.

Sounds unlikely but I bought a great and cheapish trouser suit as separates in Asda about 10 years ago. M and S were always a bit short in the arms for me and I didn't want to move up the price brackets! I went in a large superstore looking for similar trousers recently and there was nothing there like my old purchase. And no jackets at all.

“If everyone stops shopping there, more will close . People NOT using these shops is very reason they are all closing!!”

This ^^

I don’t understand the arrogance of the board of directors who refuse to listen to the customers. Their marketing team want sacking.

Unlike most mumsnetters I have time to shop, and I like shopping. I want to see and feel what I am buying. I want to try several sizes and styles of clothing on at the same time without having to spend a small fortune first. I will continue to support local shops and services as long as I am able to.

“M&S please bring your fabulous beauty counter downstairs with the clothing.
( it does not do it justice, having it rooked between, the cafe and menswear!)”

The Meadowhall branch has their beauty section next to womenswear

“But this is the problem. Emergency purchases aren't going to be regular/large enough to keep them going.”

I agree. We can’t have our cake and eat it.

I find their clothing terrible so I don’t shop there. I don’t care if they close down locations that sell clothing/reduce to just the food hall.

M&S long length is 33 leg which fortunately I can just get away with if only my local M&S would stock any long sizes. They did used to stock a proper tall range online which was similar to Next's about 10+? years ago which sadly was short-lived.

We have a new M&S on a retail park but all the ones in the towns within a 15 mile radius have closed or closing.

I do think that the problem is that they try to please everyone - because their target is 'everyone'. And as we know, you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time!

I disagree that the food is good, actually. M&S used to be a place where you went for adventurous, different things. But that's much less likely to be the case these days.

"I don’t care if they close down locations that sell clothing/reduce to just the food hall."

You don't care if people lose their jobs?
I could say I don't care if Zara/River Island/Topshop etc close down because I don't shop there. Oh wait a minute. I do care because staff lose jobs, it reduces the choice for other people and it impacts the local economy.

Closing major stores like M and S has a knock on effect as people stop going into town centres to shop. Other stores follow suit and close.

Another massive problem is that they sell too much of everything. I've been really pleased with some running leggings that I brought from them - I tried to find them online the other day (was recommending them to someone) and there were 56 different pairs of leggings to sift through! In the end, I couldn't even work out which ones I'd bought in the first place!
I also think their massive amounts of stock make it virtually impossible to shop in store - as, if your local shop is a smallish store, you are reliant on the relatively few things that it sells. I can usually find a bit of a gem on the M&S website (if I can be bothered to look), but have never seen anything worth buying in what used to be my local store (which is one of the ones now set for closure).

M&S have a responsibility to their staff and customers to stop being shit. If they did their job properly, they'd not need to close stores. We've all told them for years to make good quality basics/work wear. Stop will the random embellishments and dodgy sizing, keep food good. If they bloody listened they'd be fine.
There is money out there to be spent and there are still plenty of people who prefer shopping in real shops in their closest town instead of online or in a big city an hour away. But somehow M&S have managed to miss this.

Kazzyhoward I totally agree and this is why their click and collect from a central store is so useful. If something isn't in stock in store in my size it's easy and convenient to collect or return. I'm now faced with having to go to a different county to shop in store and I'm not prepared to spend my weekend schlepping to some soulless out of town retail park in order to browse so they will inevitably lose some sales from people.

I've emailed my MP but I doubt whether it will make any difference. We're going to be left with a very large empty space in my town centre and we already have enough pound shops already. It's the lack of choice that we're left with that saddens me when we want to support our local shops.

We've got 2 big M&Ss in our nearest big town (Banbury). The one in the town shopping center and one up the road in a new retail park. They both seem to be doing ok. (as far as it's poss. to tell !?) I always think of MN threads when i go in there. Twice recently i've been disappointed though. Once looking for nighties for DD4 4 (none) and more recently looking for some soft school trousers for her (again none).

Debenhams however is looking very dated. I went in to buy some EL foundation and i was told a good few of the big brand make up counters aren't getting their deliveries. I wonder if it's the beginning of the wind down for that store. Hope not.

They also need to introduce paper carrier bags for their clothing. If a cheap and cheerful store like Primark can do decent paper bags, then M&S should too. It's not nice having to fish out your old Tesco carrier bag when you've just paid over a hundred pounds for a coat or dress. And a proper paper bag would be excellent for advertising too. I've been in loads of towns where seeing people with branded carrier bags has prompted me to look for their shop - excellent marketing.