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M&S Penny Bazaar Discussion

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  • MsCrow wrote: »
    Why do people who got items yesterday feel the need to go again for more? It's such limited stock and the queues show there's more people than items. I'd love to go tomorrow but it's a little disheartening to know people are being, what seems to me anyway, greedy.

    I think it could be greedy ~ but not in some cases. If you are on a low or fixed income ~for whatever reason ~ this is a good way of obtaining goods ~ you need or use e.g. tea towel, socks or as gifts e.g. silk scarf or jewelley set for birthdays or mothers day etc. This makes good financial sense as the money which would have been spent can then be re-directed to pay for other essentials e.g. new school shoes, electrirty/gas bill, school trips etc. Is this being greedy or making the most of the opportunities avaliable?
  • bargains83
    bargains83 Posts: 404 Forumite
    edited 21 May 2009 at 2:57PM
    I had visions of this event being like a bunch of pigs at a trough before it even started.

    My mums gone to this today, can't wait to see what rubbish she comes back with. lol. I know that its a charity event but I find it a bit strange that people would spend hours waiting in line for 5 bits of junk. If you want to give to charity then it would be much simpler to just give to one and IMO you should do it out of the goodness of your heart not be guilted into it because you are getting some already cheap items very cheap.

    There are a few people preaching on here about how you should give more than the 5p for the items you get seeing as its for charity but I wonder how many times said people have turned the cheek and ignored collections for Childline, Cancer Research, RNIB etc while they are walking out of the supermarket?. Quite a few I bet. Bit hypocrytical to be judging people who are only putting 5p in the bucket. For all you know they might donate £100+ a month to a charity by Direct Debit.

    As the marks employee said, the real reason behind this promotion is to get you in the store and buy full price items. Be under no illusion, whoever came up with the campaign is a genius!. I saw the advertising in the mirror yesterday, it was a full page spread advertising penny bazzar and the only mention I noticed of payments being given to charity was in the tiny small print at the bottom.

    It's commercialism exploiting charity, nothing more.

    Myself, If I could be bothered to go and wait in line I would probably get the tea towels and any bits of clothing and put them in a charity bag for collection but there will be greedy people, hoarding goods they don't even need, want or dare I say it, Ebay :p.
  • FabuLass
    FabuLass Posts: 568 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    val_84 wrote: »
    I wanted to use the jewellary set for my Bridesmaid for my wedding (cheapskate I know :rolleyes:) so I asked my sister to come with me and she misunderstood and thought I was getting 2 so never bothered :mad: lol

    Which set was it val? I'm going in for the first time tomorrow so if I can get it for you and send it on I will x
    You'll make my day if I know I've been helpful to you in some small way,
    so please press my :T thanks :Tbutton x
  • Stryder
    Stryder Posts: 1,134 Forumite
    bargains83 - why comment on something you seem to have no interest in?

    Yes I criticise those who go with pockets rattling with change and then count out 5 p. I stand by that! Come on -5 p????

    And as for those who do not always donate at supermarkets - which I am one - well I got to supermarkets to buy food. I go to charity events to give money and have fun. A massive difference! (before i lost my job i had direct debits to my chosen charities).

    Marks is getting very good press - but mostly it will be about creating goodwill. Marks only survived the 90's due to brand respect and goodwill, when all else was struggling. But surely thats what companies should do???? Would it be better that they did not cynically and just did not bother with the public?

    The Marks staff were very positive about the charity, I was lead to believe that some staff have a personal relationship with it. I think this is very genuine of Marks and is very open and honest. There are no strings, no signing up and getting spam, no negativity. Yes Marks will want to positive feedback from it but surely they deserve that??

    Credit where credits due. Good on Marks and Spencer - a stalwart of the high street. (I am feeling positively to them at the moment, particularly as they are leading the way against farming caged hens)
    ............... Have you ever wondered what
    ¦OO¬¬ O[]¦ Martin would look like
    ¦ _______ ¦ In a washing machine
    ¦ ((:money:)) ¦
    ¦
    ¦
    ¦''''''''''''""""""¦
  • Flat_Eric
    Flat_Eric Posts: 4,068 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I visited my local M&S today to take advantage of the dine in for £10 deal.

    I wanted to see what all the fuss and bother was about this penny bazaar promotion as it seemed eerily quiet in my m&s but I did spot (eventually) the penny promotion thus left the store and joined the queue. i queued for about 3 minutes :j, was told whilst waiting that "it was only the novelty items left now". I received a free carrier bag and a voucher which when opened revealed I could get 12.5% if I spent £35 or more on clothes.

    I was then accompanied by a member of staff whilst I picked my five items including a mug, bag of sweets, a broach, a frisbee and a beach ball.

    I donated £1 and Im more than :D. A bit of fun. :D:D:D

    Im afraid Im not one for queueing at 6am (as the m&s staff reported some people did) and Im pleased with my goodies.

    As someone else has reported, these promotions are run just to get people into the store hoping they will buy other things. This is the thinking behind the M&S dine in for £10 deal and also the thinking (i imagine) behing the W H Smiths recent voucher promotion - spend £12 or more on cards and stationery and get £5 off. Ok you are saving £5, but did you really need to be sending that money in the first place???
  • bargains83
    bargains83 Posts: 404 Forumite
    Stryder wrote: »
    bargains83 - why comment on something you seem to have no interest in?

    Yes I criticise those who go with pockets rattling with change and then count out 5 p. I stand by that! Come on -5 p????

    And as for those who do not always donate at supermarkets - which I am one - well I got to supermarkets to buy food. I go to charity events to give money and have fun. A massive difference! (before i lost my job i had direct debits to my chosen charities).

    Marks is getting very good press - but mostly it will be about creating goodwill. Marks only survived the 90's due to brand respect and goodwill, when all else was struggling. But surely thats what companies should do???? Would it be better that they did not cynically and just did not bother with the public?

    The Marks staff were very positive about the charity, I was lead to believe that some staff have a personal relationship with it. I think this is very genuine of Marks and is very open and honest. There are no strings, no signing up and getting spam, no negativity. Yes Marks will want to positive feedback from it but surely they deserve that??

    Credit where credits due. Good on Marks and Spencer - a stalwart of the high street. (I am feeling positively to them at the moment, particularly as they are leading the way against farming caged hens)

    But the point is it was not billed as a charity event at all, which is why I am criticising it. People in this thread have already stated that they didn't realise it was for charity until they got there.

    You say you go to the supermarket to buy food and not to donate, well judging by some of the comments here it seems that most didn't go to the penny bazzar to donate either.

    But the main intention of this event was to get people in store to spend on expensive lines and buck up its balance sheets. The charity part was an afterthought. It is just an excuse to get people spending again and for at least a moment get people to forget about the recession, inflated prices on energy and food bills.

    And its worked!
  • val_84
    val_84 Posts: 445 Forumite
    FeeFeeDee wrote: »
    Which set was it val? I'm going in for the first time tomorrow so if I can get it for you and send it on I will x

    awww thats such a nice offer! Its a necklace and earring set I got which is like a crystal flower if that makes any sense?
  • did anyone go to the one in birmingham city centre? if so how was it and what time did people queue up?

    im going to go tomorrow. went today at 12pm and a lady was there giving the tickets if you gave a little donation. i got 12.5% off but probably wont use it as i dont go to m&s often.
  • Stryder
    Stryder Posts: 1,134 Forumite
    I give up

    I don't know why anyone is complaining. it is traditional that companies raise there profile with charity events. This is basically that. Anyone in Warrington will know it is VERY CLEAR when you get there its a special charity event. Its a celebration of the store (fundamentally that is marketing) and the charity aspect is clearly indicated once you get there. You can come and go out of the store without being mugged with charity boxes and from what i can tell its been held in a positive way. I have not read any complaints about it that make sense. Its just a nice thing for all concerned and even if you just get some sweets and drink for a few pence, why not.

    the point about the money is that if you are there with 50 pin change and you count 5 p out (not because you are skint, but because thats all you WANT to give) then it says a little about you.

    Plus - I am not convinced that people going to spend 5p are likely then to slip into the store and spend £150 on other things. When I was there most people left immediately (I actually went to buy some milk - :( I am just a toy to there marketing prowess!). It was actually nice because most were pensioners and mum's with kids in tow.

    I think people are too cynical. Yes Marks wants to raise its profile and see more things. ITS A SHOP. Thats what they are meant to do. But you rarely get marketing campaigns this generous. Have we lost the ability to take things on face value these days?

    Anyway, I hope we all had fun and the charities benefit. I wonder if they will published the money raised??
    ............... Have you ever wondered what
    ¦OO¬¬ O[]¦ Martin would look like
    ¦ _______ ¦ In a washing machine
    ¦ ((:money:)) ¦
    ¦
    ¦
    ¦''''''''''''""""""¦
  • Reverbe
    Reverbe Posts: 4,210 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    point3 wrote: »
    What's wrong with that? Silk scarves do cost £13. It was reported in the press that the RRP was £12.50.

    The RRP for this is actually a penny... similar items from m&S can cost from £10-22.50.This actual item was only available (unlike the mugs in some storesand indeed the tea towels and some other items online) for the Penny Bazaar itself.
    What Would Bill Buchanan Do?
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