M&S cuts 1,000 jobs as fashion sales dive

GracieP

Austin_Allegro wrote: »

I dislike most of the big chains stores, shopping centres etc. That horrible perfumy smell, overheated, the queues, the zombified customers, urgh. I tend to buy things online or from small local shops.

The nearest I come to big department stores is when watching repeats of 'Are You Being Served' and that's mainly just to lust after Miss Brahms.

I don't know why but I kind of like Debenhams. When I was working on Bond Street a few years ago it was my favourite store to wonder around on my lunch hour. And I got some really nice curtains and cushion covers there for £48. Best of all I never got stuck in one the lifts which then proceeded to plummet, get stuck, plummet, get stuck, plummet.........etc, down 5 floors like I did in House of Fraser that same summer.

Generali

mitchaa wrote: »

1,000 out of 70,000.

M&S are safe as are Next and Debenhams, 3 biggest chains around practically.

It was inevitable that this was going to happen with consumers spending less.

I think some were expecting these kind of stores to go into administration, not a chance.

There's more chance of Halifax or RBS being insolvent.

Oh, hang on a sec.......

fc123

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

Maybe if they'd kept the UK manufacturing company their quality would be as good as it used to be.

And I for one wouldn't mind paying a few quid extra for quality.

They didn't have much choice a few years back, as Next were kicking their a$$, the shareholders wanted bumper profits and they were working on traditional mark ups. They had been making some stuff abroad anyway but just kept increasing the quantity.

http://www.johnsmedley.com/pages/history.php used to do ''Contract Work'' for them, made M + S knits for many years. I read an article some time back about how they re-jigged their business when they lost this work. Could have been an FT article.

That was the quality that M + S used to sell at great prices. I have heard that the factory that made macs for Burberry or, could have been Aquascutum, again years ago, also made for M + S. Can't be 100% tho'.

When we sold vintage clothing, St Michael stuff was as good (quality) as any of the heritage brands...we used to export selected styles out to Japan.

The downside of being an M + S supplier was that they didn't like you to make for anyone else, they then controlled your prices/margins.

M + S should have kept a bit of UK made product in it's stores...just shirts or classic knitwear say. There would be some customers that would prefer it and pay a premium.

Despite the fact it sells the most units of clothing in the UK, I still believe that the bulk of it's uber profits came from beautifully, packaged processed foods. Middle England is turning away from these now. During the late 80's/early 90's, they were very ''Aspirational''.....if people came over I would always buy something exotic from M + S. Now I wouldn't I'd slave over a stove instead.
Fads in food / lifestyles affect businesses all the time. The snag is the big ones take longer to react to the changes.

M + S aren't going anywhere.

BTW, They only pay peppercorn rents on the shopping centre mega stores as they are an 'Anchor Tenant'. I can't recall where I read that, but I was really shocked.

Glenthe baker was talking about Derby on another thread, how the M + S near him has relocated to a Westfield owned centre ....and now his part of town is declining in footfall.

My mum loves M + S, she is 70.

I buy everyday panties there...and they are definately not as good as years ago but now, they are only 3 for £10....so what should I expect eh?!

PasturesNew

johnbfan wrote: »

How many of the staff being lost are temporary part time staff. Our M&S's round here take on Christmas staff and the go after Christmas no matter what.

Somebody I know came to the end of their Xmas contract today.
Beside herself, for 10 minutes. Then she went shopping.

PasturesNew

fc123 wrote: »

BTW, They only pay peppercorn rents on the shopping centre mega stores as they are an 'Anchor Tenant'. I can't recall where I read that, but I was really shocked.

Where I lived for a lot of the last 8 years, there was no M&S, word on the street was they wouldn't come (even though they wanted to) because they like to OWN their buildings/land. If that is the case, that'd be why they would be able to secure tiny rents maybe, so they fill up the rest of local space.

BYALPHAINDIA

I agree with 95% of the above posts, M&S is not as good as it was, Is anything?

But it is still a part of this country.

Although I can see some kind of merger/Or new owner in the next 5 years, As this economic pressure will keep going for a few years yet.

M&S might have to change to stay afloat?

They nearly went a few years back, But was rescued at the last minute, M&S had to be modernised to survive the high st.

The rescue plan worked well.

But M&S customers are a certain breed of shopper, A breed which is slowly dying out, Dare I say alot of 'Older' refined people use M&S compared to Primark, Wilkinsons etc.

I sometimes go into M&S at the Pudsey Owlcotes just for a 'Walk Round' - And compared to other City centre/Town shops M&S is on an 'Upper level'

But it is good quality at M&S no rubbish like Tesco's.Lol

And Tesco's is rubbish.

Always has been always will be.

But when I do go into M&S I never see young mums or young couples with puschairs, Or scruffy looking people, It is always smartly dressed middle aged people/couples.

I go into Tesco's or Netto and it is just 'Drivel' a different class of person completely.

The staff in M&S are really attentive & friendly.

But you are paying more for it obviously.

Just hope M&S is still here in 10 years.

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

It's not that long ago that M&S wouldn't accept Credit Cards and now they have their own, and they didn't do Sales, I think they just had something like 'Special Offer' days. How things change.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

Maybe if they'd kept the UK manufacturing company their quality would be as good as it used to be.

And I for one wouldn't mind paying a few quid extra for quality.

M&S used to be really good - you could pop in buy a pair of trousers or a blouse in your size and know it would fit - you wouldn't need to try it on - now you need about 4 pairs of trousers and you might find one that fits.

I bought a dress a couple of months ago - £70 and the hem fell down the first time I wore it - and they argued when I took it back - all I needed was a needle and thread - well I refuse to pay £70 for a dress to sew up the hem myself. Cardigans and coats where buttons aren't sewn on properly.

I might as well shop in Primarni

Regarding the very same thing,quality.I was looking at some jackets just yestereday in M&S and a woman was waiting to see the supervisor.
Turns out she had just worn a new coat for the first time and one of the buttons had dropped off unnoticed while she was shopping.She wanted to know if they had a spare as she had lost it.I could'nt believe my ears when the supervisor told her that she had the very same coat and the buttons had been loose on hers too and she had had to stitch them all a bit more securely before wearing them.Followed by"you should always do that you know"like it was the woman's fault the standard was rubbish.
Needless to say I did'nt buy anything after that.

Snooze

BYALPHAINDIA wrote: »

I agree with 95% of the above posts, M&S is not as good as it was, Is anything?

But it is still a part of this country.

Although I can see some kind of merger/Or new owner in the next 5 years, As this economic pressure will keep going for a few years yet.

M&S might have to change to stay afloat?

They nearly went a few years back, But was rescued at the last minute, M&S had to be modernised to survive the high st.

The rescue plan worked well.

But M&S customers are a certain breed of shopper, A breed which is slowly dying out, Dare I say alot of 'Older' refined people use M&S compared to Primark, Wilkinsons etc.

Yes you are right. M&S is definitely an old-person's shop and I don't care what anyone says. All you need to do is look in one to see it for yourself. You'll never see a guy in there for a start and of the women that shop there they're all in the 40+ bracket. Once that generation has kicked the bucket, M&S as a clothes shop will be toast.

I think the only thing that's stopping M&S from disappearing right now is their food side, which, I have to say, is the only good thing about them imho.

Rob

amcluesent

>Once that generation has kicked the bucket<

So the current Primark, Matalan, TK Max, New Look etc. etc. shoppers will never age and decide to try M&S?

Have to say, I find John Lewis, M&S and Waitrose the only shops I like...