Marks & Spencer Expected To Unveil A Sharp Fall In Clothing Sales

[The Masked Tulip]

Marks & Spencer expected to unveil a sharp fall in clothing sales despite £72m ad campaign

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1372657/Marks--Spencer-expected-unveil-sharp-fall-clothing-sales-despite-72m-ad-campaign.html#ixzz1IRxLo0GJ

MARKS & SPENCER is poised to deliver a dramatic 6.2 per cent slump in like-for-like non-food sales on Wednesday as households finally hit the brakes on spending.

The iconic department store’s expected performance in clothing and furniture for the 13 weeks to April 2, is its worst since the arrival of its new chief executive Marc Bolland last year, reflecting dire times facing the UK high street.

This represents a slowdown from the previous quarter, when same-store sales of general merchandise were up by 3.8 per cent.

Consumers spent throughout 2010 but January’s VAT rise, coupled with the impact of Government cuts has curbed their spending habits, according to Numis retail analyst James Dilks-Hopper.

“If you look across the retail sector everyone is struggling. The VAT impact was significant. In January spending was up as retailers were holding back the increase, but when promotions stopped in February, spending just fell,” he said.

Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/238443/Marks-Spencer-in-sales-slump-shock-Marks-Spencer-in-sales-slump-shock-#ixzz1IRxli7Nv

[spyguy]

Not suprised. I stopped buying t-shirts and boxers there a few years ago. The quality was terrible - some t-shirts fell apart after the 1st wash; some boxers had been cut wrong - some in the packet were OK, others were just the wrong shape. Switched to Fruit of the Loomfor t-shirts.

[jfk]

christ, surprised it's not more.

Has anyone seen the absolute state of their clothes? Everything looks for the geriatric range. The punt at trying to cater for modern styles is appalling.

The quality has dropped dramatically - I used to always buy my smart shirts from them but the quality is dreadful now. I instead go to Slater's menswear and pick up a couple of more pricey (but decent quality) shirts.

Same for suits.

[winkie]

Maybe people are starting to wear the clothes/shoes they have already got, clothes bought over the last few years have been better quality overall, like for like than much of the stuff in the stores today, more acrylic man made fabrics, shoddier workmanship, more light and flimsy....much of the stuff looks tatty and creased hung on a hanger. It is no wonder the stuff many of us already have needs wearing/using looks better and is better.

Once we have started to use up/wear out what we already have then we will start buying again....hopefully we will not put up with the shod put in front of us, why put up with buying rubbish....better not to buy.

Shops used to rely on fashion to create high clothing turnover...fashion is now out of fashion.

[ken_ichikawa]

Not suprised. I stopped buying t-shirts and boxers there a few years ago. The quality was terrible - some t-shirts fell apart after the 1st wash; some boxers had been cut wrong - some in the packet were OK, others were just the wrong shape. Switched to Fruit of the Loomfor t-shirts.

Heh I remember a pair I bought, I got onto a flight and they were badly torn after I got off the flight.

[ken_ichikawa]

christ, surprised it's not more.

Has anyone seen the absolute state of their clothes? Everything looks for the geriatric range. The punt at trying to cater for modern styles is appalling.

In the UK who has all the money?

The young certainly dont and the middle are being squeezed more and more.

[skomer]

Marks & Spencer expected to unveil a sharp fall in clothing sales despite £72m ad campaign

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1372657/Marks--Spencer-expected-unveil-sharp-fall-clothing-sales-despite-72m-ad-campaign.html#ixzz1IRxLo0GJ

Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/238443/Marks-Spencer-in-sales-slump-shock-Marks-Spencer-in-sales-slump-shock-#ixzz1IRxli7Nv

I'm not surprised too - they lost the plot years ago.

Other retailers have overtaken them. On the food side Waitrose have left them far behind, even their sandwiches aren't that good,. On the clothing side (mens clothing cant speak for womens) the quality has dropped and they still look dated to me. Jeremey Paxman was right about their undies lol These days if i want quality clothes i buy direct from the web, like Asos, Suspel, JL, House of Fraser or buy the cheap throwaway stuff at Uniqlo, Zara or Primark

[urban_hymn]

Greedy high street retailers (including M&S) have been relentlessly cutting the quality of clothing for years. I think it's beginning to dawn on even the dimmest of shoppers that they're being ripped off.

Next, River Island, Burtons, Primark, Top Man etc. are just purveyors of grotesquely marked up sweatshop junk these days.

This is what happens when the you let the third world make your stuff for you. They're 'king useless at it.

Edited April 3, 2011 by urban_hymn

[winkie]

Greedy high street retailers (including M&S) have been relentlessly cutting the quality of clothing for years. I think it's beginning to dawn on even the dimmest of shoppers that they're being ripped off.

Next, River Island, Burtons, Primark, Top Man etc. are just purveyors of grotesquely marked up sweatshop junk these days.

This is what happens when the you let the third world make your stuff for you. They're 'king useless at it.

I don't think they are king useless at it, it is the retailers want to pay the lowest price and then charge us the highest price they think they can get away with........quality can only come from quality ingredients.

[urban_hymn]

I don't think they are king useless at it, it is the retailers want to pay the lowest price and then charge us the highest price they think they

can get away with........quality can only come from quality ingredients.

All the above was equally true in the 1970s when the quality and durability of clothing was vastly higher.

[Lagarde's Drift]

Maybe people are starting to wear the clothes/shoes they have already got, clothes bought over the last few years have been better quality overall, like for like than much of the stuff in the stores today, more acrylic man made fabrics, shoddier workmanship, more light and flimsy....much of the stuff looks tatty and creased hung on a hanger. It is no wonder the stuff many of us already have needs wearing/using looks better and is better.

Once we have started to use up/wear out what we already have then we will start buying again....hopefully we will not put up with the shod put in front of us, why put up with buying rubbish....better not to buy.

Shops used to rely on fashion to create high clothing turnover...fashion is now out of fashion.

I think fashion is still in, its just that silly people have less and less cash to spend following the latest dimwit trend. I am still gobsmacked at the number of people wearing super dry jackets, surely in adulthood everyone already has more than enough outer clothing, why buy the latest overpriced crap?

I'm still wearing clothes I bought over a decade ago and wear things into the ground, sometimes till the clothes are not even fit to be donated or split into rags. Strangely enough the only higher turnover are my m & s shirts, used to last a couple of years worn and washed once per week, but they are starting to wear after a year now. May swap to another retailer, another lost customer.

[albimac]

Not suprised. I stopped buying t-shirts and boxers there a few years ago. The quality was terrible - some t-shirts fell apart after the 1st wash; some boxers had been cut wrong - some in the packet were OK, others were just the wrong shape. Switched to Fruit of the Loomfor t-shirts.

Recently bought 2 pairs of school trousers from them. Both were marked the same waist size. However, on getting them home we found that one pair were noticeably tighter. I've since had to bin a pair. Once bitten twice shy.

[SirGaz]

The quality has truly dropped off a cliff at marks', Underwear used to be top notch, now the stitching is shoddy and the size has noticeably reduced. Next is as bad. I ordered two pairs of jeans, same size different colours, one pair would barely go past my knees! According to the lady in the shop its because the manufacturers have zero quality control.

[longtomsilver]

I think fashion is still in, its just that silly people have less and less cash to spend following the latest dimwit trend. I am still gobsmacked at the number of people wearing super dry jackets, surely in adulthood everyone already has more than enough outer clothing, why buy the latest overpriced crap?

I'm still wearing clothes I bought over a decade ago and wear things into the ground, sometimes till the clothes are not even fit to be donated or split into rags. Strangely enough the only higher turnover are my m & s shirts, used to last a couple of years worn and washed once per week, but they are starting to wear after a year now. May swap to another retailer, another lost customer.

SuperDry stuff is well made and reasonably priced IMO

Marks & Spencers clothes are awful. Awful fashion, awful quality - on a par with Primark and I often get the two stores confused.

When Next announced earlier this tear that cotton prices were going up and that they had no choice but to pass these rises onto the consumer I knew that they'd go the way of M&S - mrs posh bought some outfits for our children yesterday from Next and I am taking back most of it in Monday as it's sh1t and about a 1/3rd more in price.

The proles are getting more price sensitive and savvy. Finally!

[urban_hymn]

SuperDry stuff is well made and reasonably priced IMO

Yeah, fine for people who don't mind walking around with huge white lettering on their right shoulders.

[Trampa501]

I'm still surprised that Bhs are still going. Perhaps they can exploit the gap for decently-made middle range clothing, that currently M&S provide (or not, according to some posters here)

[Democorruptcy]

In the retail world prices are increasing to pay spiralling salary excesses under the disguise of inflation and VAT rises

The government wants the public to take on more debt so they can keep shopping to keep these fats cats in clover!

Marc Bolland, the new chief executive of Marks & Spencer, has been handed a pay package worth nearly £15m to try to revive the fortunes of the ailing high street retailer.

The incentive plan will see Mr Bolland receive up to £7.3m in pay and bonuses in his first year as well as £7.5m to compensate him for lost pay and shares accumulated at Morrisons, his former employer.

Mr Bolland has been handed a £3.9m 'golden hello' to join M&S as a well as basic pay of £975,000 and a bonus worth up to 250pc of his salary.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7131228/Marc-Bolland-gets-15m-pay-package-to-revive-Marks-and-Spencers-ailing-fortunes.html

"Ailing high street retailer" = A firm that is spending so much on remuneration excesses that their prices are so high they are driving customers away. Net result share prices fall so sharehlders lose their investment, firm eventually goes bust so jobs are lost but a few men walk away with millions

[winkie]

In the retail world prices are increasing to pay spiralling salary excesses under the disguise of inflation and VAT rises

The government wants the public to take on more debt so they can keep shopping to keep these fats cats in clover!

"Ailing high street retailer" = A firm that is spending so much on remuneration excesses that their prices are so high they are driving customers away. Net result share prices fall so sharehlders lose their investment, firm eventually goes bust so jobs are lost but a few men walk away with millions

...so it's the few exploiting the many.....if you let them.

[justthisbloke]

I hold MKS and will hang on to them for two reasons. Firstly, they ain't dead by a long shot and when the figures are bad is often a good time to buy big companies. Secondly, any real weakness would result in a takeover. Thirdly, I never sell anything.

I don't buy things from M&S, though.

[porca misèria]

Has anyone seen the absolute state of their clothes? Everything looks for the geriatric range. The punt at trying to cater for modern styles is appalling.

ISTR in the 1980s, they were in the vanguard of reacting against "everything must be for the yoof", and targeted the thirtysomethings and up. If they're following the same generation through life, that's now sixtysomethings.

I was never keen on much of what they sell, apart from the underwear. But they do offer peace and quiet, so I'd rather shop there than one of those ghastly places that blasts you with mindlessness from a sound system as soon as you enter.

[longtomsilver]

I hold MKS and will hang on to them for two reasons. Firstly, they ain't dead by a long shot and when the figures are bad is often a good time to buy big companies. Secondly, any real weakness would result in a takeover. Thirdly, I never sell anything.

I don't buy things from M&S, though.

Very twisted logic.

[Mrs Bear]

ISTR in the 1980s, they were in the vanguard of reacting against "everything must be for the yoof", and targeted the thirtysomethings and up. If they're following the same generation through life, that's now sixtysomethings.

They're now ignoring older women (50+) who don't want sleeveless or very plunging necklines. Like it or not (and I know they don't) the non-yoof woman (say 35 up) is still their core market. There's a huge gap between very young bare-a-lot styles and the seriously frumpy old-granny stuff they still stock. Even before she went doolally my very elderly mother would never wear frumpy-old-lady styles.

And even now she's pretty b*ggered with Alz. I think she'd still turn her nose up.

A year or two ago a daughter (early 30s) bought several really pretty and good value summer dresses from M&S - all of them sleeveless. There was absolutely no equivalent for mothers of this age group who prefer not to brandish all their saggier bits to the general public. It was that or Frump.

And I've heard masses of similar complaints from my age group.

If they want to sell more, M&S need to ditch some of their 19 year old buyers and give some thought to what a lot of their customers actually want.

I do still buy from M&S now and then, particularly the pure linen trousers/tops which are still good value. Equivalent in other shops is often twice the price and has a Dry Clean Only label to boot.

At least you can always wash M&S linen.

But I do have to root around to find anything I want. Far too much tacky synthetic stuff in horrible colours/patterns.

[Bloo Loo]

Very twisted logic.

not just twisted logic, M&S twisted logic

[longtomsilver]

not just twisted logic, M&S twisted logic

[winkie]

A year or two ago a daughter (early 30s) bought several really pretty and good value summer dresses from M&S - all of them sleeveless. There was absolutely no equivalent for mothers of this age group who prefer not to brandish all their saggier bits to the general public. It was that or Frump.

And I've heard masses of similar complaints from my age group.

If they want to sell more, M&S need to ditch some of their 19 year old buyers and give some thought to what a lot of their customers actually want.

But I do have to root around to find anything I want. Far too much tacky synthetic stuff in horrible colours/patterns.

...agree very hard to find summer dresses with sleeves....very easy to find synthetic stuff in horrible colours/patterns.