ChaoticMusings

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Marks and Spencer...where did it all go wrong?

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

This pic was taken 10 years ago in an article titled "Why are M&S clothes so awful?"....the same photo could be taken today, they still have very similar prints and styles.

Digger · Admin

Syl wrote:
For a start, who the heck are they designing for?

I, and most of the women I know, wouldn't be seen dead in 95% of the stuff they sell now. The dresses, apart from looking cheap and nasty, would skim the floor on a 6ft Amazon.
When someone asked the question online about female only changing rooms being available, the response was... “While they are mainly used by customers of that gender, as an inclusive retailer and in line with most other retailers, we allow customers the choice of fitting room.”

Even more ridiculous, my local store is now using male shop dummies to model female clothes.

I've never been a fan of M and S clothing. Their underwear and food is good but that's about it. I was in the Trafford Centre the other day and cast my eye over the women's clothing section. What a pile of ugly sorry looking designs. I wouldn't be seen dead in them.

Look at this? It's frumpy, ugly and even makes the model look 20 years older!

Screenshot 2024-07-26 161524.jpg

What fevered mind thought this delight up? This is what my old mum used to call a Mother Bear dress. Shapeless and unflattering. Look at those Godawful sleeves! She looks deformed.

Screenshot 2024-07-26 161553.jpg

-- Edited by Digger on Friday 26th of July 2024 04:22:33 PM

Digger · Admin

Syl wrote:
This pic was taken 10 years ago in an article titled "Why are M&S clothes so awful?"....the same photo could be taken today, they still have very similar prints and styles.

I wouldn't even wipe my floors with those. Horrid. What happened to style? Even NEXT has gone down the pan. I used to buy their dresses all the time, they were so pretty. And Wallis did some beautiful Victorian style dress coats.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

I used to shop a lot in Next, Wallis was my favourite high street shop back in the day.

Next is a now a joke...on a par with M&S for frumpiness.
Wallis is online only now, so I dont even bother looking.

jackb · 1000 Posts!?

I was in MnS last week and bought a pair of trousers and white shirt button down collar.
Cost me seventy quid and the quality is no netter than George.
I wouldn't have said that a couple of years ago.
Wondered into the food hall knowing I've never come out of their with anything I like.
Came out with a few expensive tasteless bits and pieces.

Maddog · Go Outside

There is only one measure of right or wrong.

If they are profitable, they are right.

If they are losing money, they are wrong.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
There is only one measure of right or wrong.

If they are profitable, they are right.

If they are losing money, they are wrong.

Well, quite a lot of their shops have closed down dramatically over the last few years, so that's an indication of how they are doing.

Their underwear is good, their food halls are brilliant, and if they only had some decent designers, they could surely get back to being one of the leading high street stores....not everyone likes to shop for everything online.

Their pathetic attempts at being 'woke', as in allowing men to use their female dressing rooms, and dressing up male mannequins in female clothes and shoes (I wish I had taken a pic) is beyond ridiculous, imo.

Date: Jul 26 5:19 PM, 2024

jackb wrote:

Wondered into the food hall knowing I've never come out of their with anything I like.
Came out with a few expensive tasteless bits and pieces.

Why, if you already knew you weren't going to like it?

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

webp

floral print sleeveless dress boho v neck simple maxi dress womens clothing white 0

Both under £10...sometimes it pays to shop online.

jackb · 1000 Posts!?

Anonymous wrote:
jackb wrote:

Wondered into the food hall knowing I've never come out of their with anything I like.
Came out with a few expensive tasteless bits and pieces.
Why, if you already knew you weren't going to like it?

I never buy the stuff I haven't liked before.

The packaging is always quality.

People tell me how wonderful the stuff is so I kind of live in hope but I have to stop hoping!

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
There is only one measure of right or wrong.

If they are profitable, they are right.

If they are losing money, they are wrong.
Well, quite a lot of their shops have closed down dramatically over the last few years, so that's an indication of how they are doing.
Their underwear is good, their food halls are brilliant, and if they only had some decent designers, they could surely get back to being one of the leading high street stores....not everyone likes to shop for everything online.

Their pathetic attempts at being 'woke', as in allowing men to use their female dressing rooms, and dressing up male mannequins in female clothes and shoes (I wish I had taken a pic) is beyond ridiculous, imo.

They may be making dumb business moves, or simply victims of online shopping.

Or they have switched to a lot of online shopping and are doing the right thing by closing some stores..

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

"Marks and Spencer has warned of a "gathering storm" of higher costs for retailers and pressure on household budgets as it reported a fall in profits for the first half of the year. The High Street giant said trading would become "more challenging" after it revealed its profits dropped by 24%"

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:

"Marks and Spencer has warned of a "gathering storm" of higher costs for retailers and pressure on household budgets as it reported a fall in profits for the first half of the year. The High Street giant said trading would become "more challenging" after it revealed its profits dropped by 24%"

There is no doubt a storm for retailers.

All of the Amazon boxes at my daughters homes will prove that..

I'm guilty too. Last 10 shirts or so that I bought, were delivered to my front porch..

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:

"Marks and Spencer has warned of a "gathering storm" of higher costs for retailers and pressure on household budgets as it reported a fall in profits for the first half of the year. The High Street giant said trading would become "more challenging" after it revealed its profits dropped by 24%"

There is no doubt a storm for retailers.

All of the Amazon boxes at my daughters homes will prove that..

I'm guilty too. Last 10 shirts or so that I bought, were delivered to my front porch..

I buy a lot online now too....but I still like actually going in shops, feeling material, trying clothes on, mixing with people etc.

I think loads of women, especially older ones who have always shopped in person enjoy it.

The downside is the fashions, and obviously the choice, just doesn't match the stuff you can buy online now.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:

"Marks and Spencer has warned of a "gathering storm" of higher costs for retailers and pressure on household budgets as it reported a fall in profits for the first half of the year. The High Street giant said trading would become "more challenging" after it revealed its profits dropped by 24%"

There is no doubt a storm for retailers.

All of the Amazon boxes at my daughters homes will prove that..

I'm guilty too. Last 10 shirts or so that I bought, were delivered to my front porch..

I buy a lot online now too....but I still like actually going in shops, feeling material, trying clothes on, mixing with people etc.
I think loads of women, especially older ones who have always shopped in person enjoy it.
The downside is the fashions, and obviously the choice, just doesn't match the stuff you can buy online now.

And if your buying habits are typical, these brick and mortar retailers will have decreased sales volume, lower profits and the need for fewer stores.

Bicycle shops are the same way. People order everything on line now. The shops are closing and the ones that are open, have very limited inventory.

Same goes for electronics and tools..

My office supply store just closed near me too..

Retail is tough, and they are trying to only carry what appeals to the most people. That's probably not you.

You're going to need to find a very specific niche type retailer for what you want.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Yep, you are right.

Digger · Admin

Syl wrote:

Both under £10...sometimes it pays to shop online.

Not quite so alluring in reality

Screenshot 2024-07-27 012405.jpg

Screenshot 2024-07-27 012755.jpg

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Lol, the girl in the white dress ordered the dress 2 sizes too large...one of the drawbacks when online shopping, sizes vary.

The other dress looks awful, but a size 18/20 girl shouldn't order clothes suited to a 10/12.

I ordered pants from that site....they are brilliant, just like pic.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Lol, the girl in the white dress ordered the dress 2 sizes too large...one of the drawbacks when online shopping, sizes vary.

The other dress looks awful, but a size 18/20 girl shouldn't order clothes suited to a 10/12.

I ordered pants from that site....they are brilliant, just like pic.

I'm not sure what £10 is in US dollars, buy unless it's some sort of discontinued item, I'd be a bit leary of buying any clothing except socks or underwear at that price.

And as those pics prove, it's often what's under the clothes that make them look good, or bad..

ChaoticMusings

Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time. But now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time.

Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time. But now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time.