With stores closing, has M&S reached its sell-by date?
THE decline in the M&S brand started when it turned its back on the British clothing industry in favour of cheap labour abroad. Its name was once synonymous with ‘made in Britain’. There has been a noticeable downturn in quality and garment sizing is inconsistent. With the announcement that M&S is closing 100 stores by 2020 (Mail), there is a risk our High Streets will turn into ghost towns. MARGARET HARRISON, Edinburgh. Like other retailers, M&S’s clothing has been in decline ever since it stopped sourcing it from uk manufacturers. it continued to demand premium prices while its competitors slashed them. its Foodhall is the only department that has kept the store’s head above water.
C. NEWTON, Irthlingborough, Northants. TV COVERAGE of the reaction to the planned closure of Northampton’s M&S featured one woman shopper who said about the clothes: ‘There is nothing I am tempted to buy any more.’ As a former M&S buyer, I would urge the management to decide what market it is aiming at. Forget
the young — hundreds of shops cater for them. M&S clothes come in ugly prints and styles are rehashed. We want pretty outfits with sleeves in good quality cotton, linen and wool.
Mrs R. O. GRADY, Hounslow, Middlesex. THE fact M&S is closing 100 stores is sad, but comes as no surprise to me and its core market of women aged over 40. It panders to the youth, who are not interested. Closures and concentrating on online sales will not stop the rot unless it starts to sell stylish, good quality ladies’ fashion. Mrs M. BUCKINGHAM,
sherborne, Dorset. MARKS’S has long been a part of the British High Street, but the announcement of 100 store closures shows its approach is not working. It should start selling designer brands instead of its dull ownlabels. The advantage of being able to see, feel and try on clothes is still a major incentive to go to a store.
DAVE BASELEY, Great Hormead, Herts. LIVING in France, I can use the UK website for Next to order gifts for friends in Britain, but this is not possible with M&S. We have to use M&S France, where prices are more expensive and the system will not accept a UK delivery address. On a visit to Burnley, my wife and I went to M&S to spend £130 on a lambswool V-neck pullover, blouses and jeans, but could not find our sizes. The sales assistant couldn’t check availability on the computer, offered to look in the stock room and suggested we drive ten miles to the Blackburn store on the offchance it had what we wanted.
LEONARD HART, France. MARKS & SPENCER ‘only’ making a profit of £67 million (Mail)? Sounds good to me and, I hear, Mr Micawber. ANTHONY MILLER, stanmore, Middlesex.