What is happening to M&S ?

[DRM]

Yet I’ve heard that in the White Rose Shopping Centre, Leeds, M&S are moving into what was the Debenhams unit, which is huge compared to the unit they currently occupy

 

[classic33]

If you're in Leeds, keep an eye out for the Blue Plaque.
https://welcometoleeds.co.uk/video/a-brief-history-of-marks-spencer/

 

[Gwylan]

They believed their own publicity.
Not least that if they put their label on something people would buy it.

An analyst chum once suggested that M&S was only for people who found John Lewis & Waitrose too exciting

 

[Fab Foodie]

I've never bought anything in M&S in my life.

And you're still alive?

 

[Accy cyclist]

Many folk say that Accrington town centre's decline started when M&S left, about 7 or 8 years ago. It wasn't that good before they left, but now it's a right shoot hole!!🧐

 

[craigwend]

It’s not just any decline, it’s an M&S decline…

 

[Arrowfoot]

M&S was first retailer in hit £1B in profits and this was in the late 1990s. Not sure why but they seem to struggle with what they want to sell - clothes or food.

 

[tyred]

And you're still alive?

Checks pulse.... Apparently so.!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Checks pulse.... Apparently so.!

Haha! And you're so close to one!

Being dragged around Marks and Sparks as a kid, was all part of our childhoods. My mum used to call it the 9 to 5 bank as when banks were closed you could buy something with a cheque, return it half an hour later and be refunded in cash!

 

[Fab Foodie]

M&S has long had a disconnect between its food purchasers and its clothes purchasers. The latter has been in a long and painful decline for a long time, it's core demographic declined and it failed to find it's way forward against the like of Next et al. Quality drops didn't help.
Having tried other ventures and failed, it seems to be focusing on it's food business. I suspect non-food will wither on the vine....

 

[Tenkaykev]

Ten years ago I popped over to Durban for the weekend. I wandered out of my B+B to find something to eat and found a small shopping centre. I was surprised to see a Woolworths there and went in for a look around. It was an exact clone of M+S, the decor, the uniforms and the layout. Clean, bright and spacious with very well turned out staff. I bought some food, wandered into the clothes department and ended up buying a two pack of underpants. Outstanding quality, they’re still going strong and the printing in the waistband says “ Made in RSA “. Had I known they were such high quality I would have bought more, but it’s a long way to go to see how they’ve fared over the intervening years.

 

[Illaveago]

Isn't it strange when you look back into their history that they were responsible for the start of the now Hornby trains . It was M&S who brought out a plastic train set which Triang later took over to compete against the then Hornby Dublo.

 

[Mike_P]

M&S clothes policy when they used UK suppliers was if an item was returned as faulty the whole batch got returned, each garment had a specific number in it which related to the supplier. The consequence of that was the raft of M&S seconds shops that existed in parts of the country with items that were largely perfect. On the otherhand M&S singularly killed many UK suppliers as a result.

Not that suppliers then were not afraid to pull a fast one, I had a sweatshirt that had been a product sample, it was made of the finest long lasting materials available whereas the production run was made of somewhat lower quality material.

 

[alicat]

M&S had a small Simply Food outlet in the town where I live. It was always heaving. They closed it and I'm sure most customers will not be going regularly to the next one seven miles away. I can't get my head round that decision.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

M&S had a small Simply Food outlet in the town where I live. It was always heaving. They closed it and I'm sure most customers will not be going regularly to the next one seven miles away. I can't get my head round that decision.

Small unit + big rent/rates? & food only retailing is not high margin.

Not a great combination.