Glitterqueen
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 3213
Loc: Essex
|
|
25 of their simply food stores and two normal stores. Truly a sign of the times.
I thought that M&S was one the strongest areas of their business but obviously not.
--------------------
|
PLASMO
member
Reged: 13/03/2008
Posts: 13116
Loc: FLOUNCELAND
|
|
Glitter Queen,
My OH is awaiting news today as he works part time in one of the Simply Food stores, it is indeed a worrying time.
If his store doesnt meet the criteria, he will be out of a job.
Plasmo x
--------------------
|
Splash123
member
Reged: 04/05/2008
Posts: 4098
Loc: South Glamorgan
|
|
We have a fairly new Simply Food near us and another one that is due to open ....wonder if they are safe... i use it a lot... too much really as it is so handy and close to home!
--------------------
http://www.visitcardiff.com/What-to-do-and-see.html
|
Loo
member
Reged: 09/01/2008
Posts: 2365
|
|
Yes, but there simply food stores are in some weird places. There is one on the A13 near Stanford le Hope. You can't see it from the road or even from the petrol station, which is near. So who goes there?
And the turn over of food, must go past sell by date very quickly.
I think it was a gamble, which obviously didn't work for 27 outlets. Which is not very many in the grand scheme.
Loo
PS BOILER HAS BROKEN!
--------------------
...as in Looby Loo
This is me, with Andy Pandy and Teddy.
|
chilla
member
Reged: 05/09/2008
Posts: 6243
Loc: runcorn
|
|
Fingers crossed for you O/H Plasmo.
i think food stores have been suffering because it's easy for people to food shop more cheaply and M&S food has been expensive, though decidedly good quality.
--------------------
I have the talent of single-minded determination and foc....hey, look, dog!
|
Glitterqueen
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 3213
Loc: Essex
|
|
Plasmo i'm so sorry to hear that I hope the news is good for your OH.
Loo - can't believe your boiler is broken. Is it a condenser type?
--------------------
|
amelica2
member
Reged: 21/07/2008
Posts: 6103
Loc: Never Never Land
|
|
Plasmo
Hope your OH gets good news and not bad. What a sign of the times.
Loo - thanks for help on avatar... will attempt it later - watch this space!!
amelica2
--------------------
Practically perfect in every way
|
Chipmunk
member
Reged: 02/02/2008
Posts: 2692
|
|
Hi Plasmo, hope its good news for your OH! and the store he works in is one that is staying open.
My d works part time in our local sainsburys, has done for the past 4 years, she has always worked at least 20 hours a week, sometimes full time when she is back from uni. Her contracted hours are 14 and as of last week everyone in the store has been told no-one will be working anymore than their contracted hours. Have to say I am surprised but it is obviously a sign of the times. Now I will complain if I have to stand in a queue if there is not enough checkout operators.
--------------------
|
Glitterqueen
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 3213
Loc: Essex
|
|
Chippie, I so agree with you - I hate having to queue.
--------------------
|
RunGirl
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 1342
Loc: South East London
|
|
My stepdaughter works in their head office and we're really worried that she might lose her job as she hasn't been there very long. She is getting married next month and it would be awful if she were to lose her job now. My OH hasn't heard from her today and she would definitely have rung him if she'd had bad news so we are keeping our fingers crossed.
These are the stores which may be closing -
Grafton Centre, Cambridge
Bracknell
Torquay
Imperial Wharf
Harbourside Bristol
Newtownards
Trowbridge
Letchworth
Huntingdon
Marlborough
Braintree
Caversham
Balham
Palmers Green
Colmore Row
Evesham
Tewkesbury
Whitley Bay
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Biggin Hill
Sudbury
Ripon
Melton Mowbray
Honiton
Market Harborough
Valley Park Croydon
Woking
I use the Biggin Hill one occasionally, and it never seems very busy compared to other Simply Food stores which I use....
Plasmo, I do hope your OH's store is not among them x
|
Tigerfeet
member
Reged: 29/10/2008
Posts: 1707
|
|
Plasmo - I hope your OH is OK. x
--------------------
|
Lillie
member
Reged: 04/06/2008
Posts: 4812
Loc: Sandhurst, Berkshire
|
|
Does anyone know if the large branch in Camberley Berkshire will close ??
--------------------
|
Loo
member
Reged: 09/01/2008
Posts: 2365
|
|
Lillie, its the Simply Food stores that are closing. Your Camberley branch of normal M&S is one of their great shops. I have heard about it, its famous. It's huge isn't it. Don't think that would go. At least not in this first phase of down sizing.
Loo
--------------------
...as in Looby Loo
This is me, with Andy Pandy and Teddy.
|
Lillie
member
Reged: 04/06/2008
Posts: 4812
Loc: Sandhurst, Berkshire
|
|
Oh yes thats right Loo its just the smaller stores, silly me lol !
I must admit the Camberley branch is very big and my favourite store of anywhere lol
--------------------
|
PLASMO
member
Reged: 13/03/2008
Posts: 13116
Loc: FLOUNCELAND
|
|
RunGirl,
Thank you so much for that, OH has just gone into work for his afternoon shift, and havent heard anything, and as his branch isnt on your list that could be good news. I do hope the news is good for your stepdaughter, and of course how sad it will be for all the people in the stores that are closing and who will be without a job. My heart goes out to them all.
Hope you are okay.
Plasmo x
--------------------
|
feathers
member
Reged: 20/05/2007
Posts: 563
Loc: Tyneside
|
|
Whitley Bay???? I understood it had the highest footfall per sq ft outside Oxford Street. It is tiny, however, and they have opened a food hall in their new shop at a retail park (Silverlink) about five miles away. Still, not the same as being able to walk.
|
Glitterqueen
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 3213
Loc: Essex
|
|
There was a rumour in our town last year that we were getting an M&S foodstore. Doesn't seem likely now.
--------------------
|
Mollymandy
member
Reged: 01/08/2008
Posts: 1512
|
|
Whilst I have complete sympathy with anyone who will be made redundant as a result of these closures, feel that M&S seem to have lost the plot as far as there stores are concerned these days and I am not surprised that there has been a downturn in their profits.
The clothes have been dire for the last year and the food is overpriced and, on the whole, a bit bland (except their sticky toffee pudding!). Even the underwear seems to have lost the plot - it is all so samey and nothing pretty and original - I found it truly difficult to spend a £50 gift voucher and ended up using it for tights and candles and a supply of birthday cards. Why do retailers assume that if you are a 38" bra size that you have a double EE or larger cup size!
I tried on four pairs of trousers - all the same size and all fitted (or didnt fit) differently : cheap fabric and all missed the style side... A load of tut as Snowy said a while ago.
I appreciate that M&S Telford is hardly M&S at Bluewater, but there was absolutely nothing which either my OH or I found particularly tempting (even before Christmas).
After the M&S downturn a few years ago, Rose seemed to have turned it round, but it has sunken back into a torpor. Bring back George Davis to do some designing - Per Una doesnt seem to have moved forward at all since he fell out with Stuart Rose.
Heard on the grapevine that Laura Ashley were having difficulties, so maybe them next. Also the dreadful Land of Leather will be the next furniture (loosely speaking) business to call in the receivers.
|
Glitterqueen
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 3213
Loc: Essex
|
|
Mollymandy I can't say that i'm surprised about Laura Ashley I think they havent moved with the times and their clothes are way overpriced.
Probably the last time I spent any money in there was in the 1980's when their wallpaper was de regueur.
--------------------
|
cupcake
member
Reged: 15/02/2008
Posts: 6088
|
|
I used to be a big fan of Laura Ashley. Now it is so frumpy I wouldn't buy anything.
M and S is also very frumpy...actually I have never been a fan They never have anything I would wear except for their undies and they have been a bit odd lately. I have a £20 gift card...I'll probably buy food just to use it.
Very sad to see so many shops closing though.
--------------------
|
GroovyMama
member
Reged: 08/03/2008
Posts: 106
Loc: Corsham, Wilts
|
|
Sad about M&S; I guess we won't be getting a store here now (they were said to be interested) I will be sad if Laura Ashley goes, their winter collection was much improved - I spent money there for the first time in 20 years! Infact I bought more clothes in Laura Ashley in the last few months than i have in M&S!
I wonder what the high streets of the future will look like - charity shops and poundlands?
|
Poppy99
member
Reged: 31/03/2008
Posts: 15
|
|
I hope we are not going to be left with just cheap shops in the High St - Primark, New Look, Poundland etc. They are okay to have a look in occasionally but I don't want them to be all that's left.....M&S clothes have gone down recently - but I think they are trying to compete with Primark et al. They have tailored trousers for £15 - awful quality. Their food has also declined in quality. I am a lazy mare who works long hours and I often bought their ready meals, but the only ones I buy from there now are the Gastropub ones and they are pricy. I soemtimes used to buy one of their freshly made baguetters with off the bone ham and mature cheddar which used to be nice, but both I and OH had one recently and agreed that they are just using ordinary ham which was a bit fatty - price still the same though. Fingers Xed that this downturn does not last long. (Think we have all been a bit profligate and have had a spend spend spend mentality so a bit of a cutback was overdue, but all these jobs going is very worrying and distressing for those who are affected.)
|
oopsidaisy
member
Reged: 08/10/2008
Posts: 211
Loc: Belfast
|
|
Hi All. So glad your OH seems to be ok Plasmo.But what a shame for all the other jobs.And it is only the start of the year,what else could go? It is a bit scary. I have to say that I do feel the quality has gone from much of the clothing. Personally, I would rather pay a bit more and have good quality.I love the food hall.I'm probably keeping the local Simply Food open alone,hee hee.If M&S closed completely I don't know where I would shop! Oopsi.
|
Mayday
member
Reged: 19/01/2008
Posts: 2046
Loc: Gloucestershire/cotswolds
|
|
I will be very sorry to lose the Tewkesbury branch of S.Food
It has helped Tewkesbury to lift itself up since it opened a few years ago when Iceland closed. Tewkesbury will sink back into a third rate market town again sadly. Too many charity shops and not enough quality shops. I have enjoyed the two for £10.00 suppers the S.Food has been doing lately and do drop in for other things from time to time......not enough obviously!!!
--------------------
I may not be rich or famous but my Grandchildren ARE Priceless !!
|
BEL
member
Reged: 21/02/2008
Posts: 2481
|
|
M/S have really lost the plot,their bras are cheap,and nasty
clothes the same.Was surprised that Next is doing well,as
their clothes are very boring,and poor quality..but someone
likes them!!!
--------------------
|
Glitterqueen
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 3213
Loc: Essex
|
|
Bel why does your writing only go across 2/3rds of the page?
--------------------
|
Foxie
member
Reged: 09/08/2007
Posts: 8019
|
|
sorry to hear about M&S branches closing. Fingers crossed for everyone who has family and friends working there.
Miss F does a lot of shopping in the Cambridge branch and it always seems busy when we go there, but obviously not busy enough!
--------------------
I've learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou.
|
Mollymandy
member
Reged: 01/08/2008
Posts: 1512
|
|
Have to say I was surprised at the Grafton Centre closing as it always seemed to do a good trade. Newmarket, on the other hand, never seemed that great... and in close proximity to Waitrose.
We work next to a big Laura Ashley superstore which in all fairness had some really nice accessories and some of the best clothes they have had for a while. They do, however, have a lot of problems with their delivery timelines and were very heavily discounting their furniture. Its no good cutting your margin to such a level that you are no longer achieving a decent profit margin.
Would be sorry to see them go, but they have been close to failure before and times are even harder now... keeping all crossed as they are a really nice bunch of girls inspite of sending in their customers to use our loo!
Bel - I think that Next do particularly well with their children's clothing as agree their clothes are a shadow of what they used to be when the shop first opened (again George Davies) in the 1970/1980s.
Edited by Mollymandy (07/01/2009 19:16)
|
BEL
member
Reged: 21/02/2008
Posts: 2481
|
|
Hi Glitterqueen,have not got a clue,laptop has always presented this way......any suggestions how to alter this on my laptop?
--------------------
|
BEL
member
Reged: 21/02/2008
Posts: 2481
|
|
Ha,ha,got it OH sorted it out!!!!Mind you rather liked my personal style GT.
--------------------
|
Verite
member
Reged: 19/08/2008
Posts: 651
Loc: HONG KONG
|
|
It's really strange as the M&S here in Hong Kong is fantastic. When they opened the store is was full of yuky stuff but now they seem to have got it right. My friends parents came over and the Mum did a huge shop here because we have better colours and styles over here.... I get the odd bits from there but its not all that cheap and the underwear department drives me wild will 90% of bras padded. I hate padded bras....
--------------------
|
Mollymandy
member
Reged: 01/08/2008
Posts: 1512
|
|
Down with padded bras - hate them too. Got quite enough padding of my own! 
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
