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Another blow to the retail industry. That Great British bastion of the high street, Marks & Spencer, has already closed 21 stores with 14 more in the pipeline, and there will also be another 65 stores closing where sales are down and charges are high, causing a reduced profit.
Marks & Spencer was formed in 1884 when Michael Marks, a Polish refugee opened a market stall in Leeds, with the slogan ‘Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny’. In 1894 Marks went into partnership with Thomas Spencer, a former cashier from the wholesale company, Dewhirst. In 1904 Marks & Spencer opened their first shop in Leeds.
However, times have changed, and the majority of us are now shopping online. The big M&S shop windows stretching a good length down the high street will rapidly become a thing of the past, as now less space is needed.
But what of the mainly middle-aged shoppers thronging the famous M&S food halls and trying on good quality M&S clothing in the fitting rooms? I am one of those middle-agers, and love a trip to M&S on a Saturday. Most of my clothes are bought there; they last many years. We go up to the café on the third floor for a green tea every week, and Sam might buy a pair of jeans as we walk through the Menswear Department towards the café. My sons know to buy me a M&S voucher for birthdays or Christmas if they are stuck for ideas.
There are not many shops left in Bury St. Edmunds that cater for ladies of a certain age who do not want to visit stores for teenagers and end up looking like mutton dressed as lamb. I suppose shoppers have been cutting back on spending for some time now, and this is reflected in not only M&S’ dwindling profits, but also in the closure of Maplins Electronics (Sam’s favourite shop, now no more), New Look, Mothercare, and Toys R Us amongst others who have already gone down that sad, slippery slope. The death knell has tolled for retail.
M&S is an institution – it cannot die! My cousin who lives out in the Middle East has an M&S in Riyadh. He tells me that sometimes on family shopping nights, single men are not allowed in, and so he gives money to one of his girlfriends who buys what he needs!
Message to my US friends – has M&S made it across the pond?
Sam says that perhaps the age of the shoppers at M&S has something to do with failing profits, but I don’t agree. What is wrong with a shop catering for people over the age of 45? We’re entitled to buy clothing just as younger people do. Sam in his wisdom also says that these older people are dying off, and that the younger ones are shopping online, but there are always new middle-agers ‘coming of age’ every day. I suppose they have already been conditioned to shop online though…
The featured free image here that I found on Pixabay is of Exeter High Street in Devon. It’s typical of any UK shopping centre, but if this retail calamity continues, will we have a high street just full of cafes and phone shops? I fear this will be our destiny before too long.
dgkaye said:
Forgot to say I didn’t see where to submit short stories to you. Yes, I’ll have one for you finished early next week! 🙂 And what else shall I send along? 🙂
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Stevie Turner said:
Am not publishing another submission post just yet. I think it needs a rest for the summer.
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dgkaye said:
Gotcha! 🙂
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dgkaye said:
So sad. I read about that the other day. We have the same thing here where stores are closing that been around for decades. And yes, what about the many seniors or computer challenged people out there who don’t shop on line. It’s crazy! 😦
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes, the older generation depend on shops being open. They don’t give two hoots for computers.
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dgkaye said:
And sadly, E-commerce doesn’t care to miss out senior business. Seniors dominate population in many countries – such as mine.
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tomlesniara said:
I didn’t know the founder was polish. Gonna shop there now more, lol.
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Stevie Turner said:
I didn’t know either until I did a little bit of research. I’m sure they’d be horrified at what’s happening to their stores now.
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franklparker said:
I’m with Darlene. I think part of the problem is that they are perceived as being for middle aged people when actually they are not. They’ve had various attempts to update their image over the years – was it George Davis who created one line for them? But they are expensive – it’s not just on-line shoppers that have deserted them, their are so many other clothing stores with much cheaper lines manufactured in the far east using cheap labour.
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Stevie Turner said:
But I always say what’s wrong with a store that sells quality clothing for middle-aged people? There’s not many shops for middle-agers who don’t want to look ridiculous.
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Darlene said:
We had some Marks and Spencer stores in Canada for awhile and I loved them. But sadly they closed some time ago. I have never thought of them as for middle-aged people. I bought a wool skirt at one in Vancouver and it lasted forever. I have a friend who swears by their underwear and stocks up every time she visits the UK. But then we lost Sears which was a Canadian institution. A sign of the times.
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Stevie Turner said:
Indeed. They have always sold quality merchandise.
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jenanita01 said:
This world is rapidly becoming a place I no longer recognise…
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Stevie Turner said:
It’s sad, isn’t it?
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jenanita01 said:
Very sad, almost makes me grateful I won’t be around to see it become even more ugly…
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Stevie Turner said:
I’ve often had that thought too. I think I was born at just the right time!
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jenanita01 said:
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thank you.
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rachaelstray said:
This really saddens me. I worked in retail for 7 years. I rarely shop online if I am honest. I prefer to shop in person so I can try things on, feel the fabric etc. I am not over 45 but I appreciate M&S. Their lingerie is lovely and you can get a proper bra fitting for free – it is amazing! I also am a big fan of a lot of their food too – can’t afford to do a big shop there mind. I often get jumpers and coats for Christmas from Marksies and they are brilliant quality that last.
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes indeed. I think it’s my favourite place to shop. I’ll be gutted if they close the Bury St. Edmunds branch.
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jwebster2 said:
I think the answer to the problem is in people’s own hands. If they want high street shops, stop buying on line
On line stuff is cheaper because they don’t pay many staff and pay few of the ones they do have decent wages. They also don’t pay the rates which go to pay for the local services we all use, and use their international status to wriggle out of paying the taxes which fund our national services.
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes, this is true. I think for the younger generation it’s become normal to shop online. I prefer to visit a shop though, but it seems I’m in the minority.
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jwebster2 said:
about all I buy online are books, mainly because, almost by definition, you struggle to buy indie authors anywhere else, and when it comes to non-fiction, it’s very difficult buying specialist history books other than online. Especially when you’re not living near a major city. But pretty much everything else I buy over the counter 🙂
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes I’m the same. When I was growing up in the East End of London, Saturdays were always market days. Even now I associate Saturdays with shopping.
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wellcolourmeyellow said:
I’m 18 and i personally find online shopping such a drag! I can never manage to find the right sizing blegh
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes, and that’s why we need shops so that we can try clothes on in the fitting rooms.
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wellcolourmeyellow said:
yesss
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tidalscribe said:
I’m furious that Bournemouth town centre branch has closed while the out of town one stays open. My mother took her M&S dress and nightie when we emigrated and they lasted for years.
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Stevie Turner said:
I’m waiting to hear the fate of our store in Bury St. Edmunds. There’s a bigger store in Ipswich, but that’s 25 miles away.
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Carol said:
It is very sad..I love M & S…They do have one here but always winter clothes..why don’t they send their lovely excess summer stock here it would sell?? I never understand that …
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Stevie Turner said:
In the winter I go to M&S and they’re selling summer stuff! They’re always a season ahead – it’s infuriating. I often wonder why they can’t sell the clothes that relate to the current season?
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Carol said:
I know..But where I live it is summer the whole year round and why they bring their winter clothes over is beyond me 🙂
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ksbeth said:
oh, that’s sad!
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes it is.
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Pingback: Good Old Marks & Sparks – The Militant Negro™
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for the link-up.
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