Marks and Spencer support new 'Hooters' in Bristol

[JessinAvalon]

Dear all
This is my first post on here so I hope I am doing this right!

I live in Bristol and, last week, 'Hooters' was granted a licence to open in the city centre. The site is virtually opposite 3 apartment blocks, the lower floors of which are social housing and children are living in them.

What's most disappointing is that Marks and Spencer are leasing the site to 'Hooters'. They have been e-mailed by many concerned people to ask if they will reconsider leasing the building but they have just replied saying it is a "commercial decision" (as if that makes it ok!). In Sheffield, a 'Hooters' didn't even make it to application stage because the developer (Ask Pizza) realised that it would be better not to be associated with a company like 'Hooters'.

Marks and Spencer don't seem that concerned, however. Although they have signed up to the "Let Girls Be Girls" Mumsnet campaign they are not concerned about a company which sells merchandise including babygros which say "Future Hooters Girl" and "Does my butt look big in this?"

I have written to Marks and Spencer telling them that I won't be shopping in their stores again. If you feel strongly about this, please e-mail:

[email protected].

'Hooters' tries to sell itself as a family friendly restaurant but it is anything but. The Hooters in Nottingham attracts mainly stag parties and football fans. Hooters Girls take part in bikini contests and iced wet t-shirt competitions (the t-shirts are put in the freezers before the girls wear them). 'Hooters' has links to Playboy magazine....I could go on.....

I think Marks and Spencer should be shamed for facilitating this company's expansion into Bristol. They are selling women and girls down the river by leasing to this company and all just to make a "quick buck".

Thanks everyone.

PixieonaLeaf - you might want to get in touch with someone on Facebook who is concerned about the Hooters in Nottingham. I'll have to look up the details and I don't want to say too much on the forum but she's quite keen to raise the issue of how awful the place is. I understand if you don't want to but let me know if you want to link up with her and I'll pass the details on.

PS Mother's Day?????

I have the email of one of the producers at Woman's Hour, will email her when I get a mo.

For M&S Press Office Contacts:

[email protected] (deputy head of Corporate PR)

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected] (head of Corporate PR)

Dear Posie Parker,

Thank you for your reply to George Mason's email about our decision to sub-let to Gallus Restaurants. George is out of the office today, so I am responding on his behalf.

I was disappointed to read you felt fobbed of by George's response to you initial email. I can appreciate how important this issue is to you and many other people. M&S certainly take this matter very seriously and has not been entered into lightly. I truly am sorry you dont aggree with the decision taken on this issue.

Thank you again for your feedback on this matter.

Kind regards
Simon Hoskins
Executive Office
Your M&S Customer Service

"It has not been entered into lightly"?

That almost makes it worse - that they considered the implications and still decided to go ahead.

I'd prefer to think that it was a mistake (i.e. that they didn't know about the connection to Hooters) on their part that they now regret!

I hope they reverse their decision somehow in the next few weeks as I've got feeding bras to buy soon. Will be forced to go and get them from Mothercare otherwise and they NEVER have anything in my size...

Maniacbug - thanks for the tips. I've had a response back from the licensing team. They don't publish licensing applications online which is a bit annoying and said I'd have to keep an eye on the local rag which won't be easy since I'm not local anymore. On the positive side they did say they hadn't (yet) received any applications from Gallus / Bubo. I will keep checking with them though.

I just go this response:-

Dear Ms Stewart

Thank you for emailing Sir Stuart about the subletting of our former Bristol Habourside Simply Food store. As a member of Sir Stuart's personal team, I'm responding on his behalf.

We have agreed to sub-let this site to Gallus Restaurants, who reportedly plan to open a branch of Hooters there. While we do not feel it is appropriate to comment on the Hooters brand, I appreciate you feel any possible association with them will undermine our support of the 'Let Girls Be Girls' campaign, and our reputation as a ethical retailer.

I also note you're aware of some of responses sent to other customers regarding this issue, and feel we may not of taken the time to read these. I can assure you that all contacts are read and noted. In this case, where we are dealing with a corporate decision, any responses will have to follow our policy, and as such can be very similar.

Again, I understand you're disappointed with our decision to sub-let the site to Gallus, and I have recorded your concerns.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind regards

Simon Hoskins
Executive Office
Your M&S Customer Service

Is it worth their while, I wonder? They must seem to think so. It is very disappointing. They are risking huge offence to their core customer base here.

I hope that the Hooters in Bristol goes the same way as the Birmingham Hooters and then M&S may find themselves having to find a new leaseholder again within a short time.

I know the man is an M&S employee but that last response does seem like his hands are rather tied. I don't expect they had had any heads up that objections would be coming thick and fast....I would hate to be in his shoes at the moment, afterall he could complete agree that it's a foolish decision.

They are risking huge offence to their core customer base here.

That is exactly what I just cannot get over. It's insanely bad publicity for them - and let's face it, M&S have been through some rocky years and are only slowly making a comeback, thanks in no small part to their ethical stances.

I mean, at least when Dr Pepper screwed up, they were quick to apologise and boot out the marketing team/company responsible. There just doesn't seem to be any acknowledgement here that M&S have screwed up or any hint of genuine apology.

Beggars belief it really does. They're just digging themselves a deeper hole in the hope that this all just goes away.

I'll never trust any ethical pronouncements from them ever again.

I still haven't had a reply from M&S.

So, how about we find out more about the corporate golf days in Nottingham Hooters?

Which companies hold these and does it fit with their internal equality policies?

Perhaps someone could call Hooters on the pretext of arranging one and say then need to talk to a company who has already held one?

My theory is that they didn't know who Gallus/Bubo were and didn't know it would be a Hooters restaurant.

And that currently they are getting their lawyers to work out if there is a way they can get out of it .

I mean, these guys who have to write these letters don't have any power and their job is just to write fending-off emails. If we haven't had a more substantive response within a week or so, once top bods in M&S have had a chance to look into it and check out their position wrt Hooters, then I will start to get angry.

For now I will just repeat RubberDuck's comment They are risking huge offence to their core customer base here.

TheButterflyEffect - I agree, hot milk ones are gorgeous but I'm after the cheap and cheerful 2 pack, 1 black, 1 white that M&S do so well. Still, I will dig my threadbare, greying old ones out of the back of the cupboard if that's what I have to do!