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Wednesday, June 01, 2005 :

Eminess

A good comment in the Times about Marks & Spencer:

Every time I hear a story about the company’s problems I worry that it might disappear and then, if I wanted to buy clothes, I’d be forced to go shopping. In M & S you can buy a suit, shirt and shoes in ten minutes. How can it be in trouble? What’s wrong with you people?

I agree. Long live M & S. But it does have a real image problem. Funnily enough, someone asked me just yesterday “where do you get your suits from?”, the implication being that they liked the suit I was wearing and expected an expensive, fancy retailer as the answer. I was embarrassed to answer “this one is from M & S, actually”. Their image is much worse than their products. Why is that and what can M & S do about it?



Comments:
If you go into any M&S that isn't on Oxford St you will find it populated by blue-rinsers. M&S can't afford to alienate those customers as they account for a vast proportion of their sales, so the key late teen/20-something customers who spend heaps on clothes (and who every retailer is chasing) are always likely to bump into Grandad in M&S buying his voluminous undercrackers from the next door aisle. Not cool. Hughesy.
 
"voluminous undercrackers"

Like it. You may have hit the nail on the head there tho'. I've only been to Marks on Oxford St over the last few years, and then usually on a stealth mission to buy a school uniform whistle for the office.
 
I buy very occasionally from marks and sparks. I think last thing was a plain grey jersey, and I can't think of anything before that.

I just never would think of going to them for anything I would normally buy as I have other shops where I would go where the brand appeals to me.

Unfortunately M&S have a problem, they have no brand really and are being hit from above by stronger brands where the brand is what sells not the clothes. There are being hit from below by ASDA where the price is what sells not the brand. They have a fairly big problem.

Their food stuff is good though.
 
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