(MKS.L) Marks & Spencer Group PLC Buy/Sell

Missed a point, remember that if you get a red arrow then it means someone has at least read what you wrote. They may not have agreed with it, but they did read it.

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I don't assume anything about you. Its just from reading what you write, I can see that you don't seem to understand M&S and its policies or the economy as a whole. I didn't vote you down either. Click on the down arrow and you can see who has voted you down.
I can't believe that you really think the bag policy has made any difference to footfall in the stores.

Many people on these boards can be scared into selling because of comments that people make.
Any argument should be explained with reasoning.

I agree that as a shareholder then you don't want M&S to lose customers, no one does. But staff telling you that is rubbish. Try asking the staff who told you that, what the footfall figures are for their store. They won't be able to tell you.
I think you will find that the footfall is actually up in M&S stores but it is the increased costs and having to discount that has caused the fall in profits.

And finally tell me about yourself if you think my assumptions are all wrong.
I don't prejudge people. All I have done is explain why what you write is not correct.

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John Lewis figures very strong yesterday, suggests the punters are out trying to beat the VAT increase in January. But I would have thought this will benefit fridges and sofas more than sweaters and socks. The real problem facing Bolland on non-food is that more of these types of sales could go on line so that Marks has too many stores in high streets where nobody visits more than a couple of times a year.

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CCSIceman, you assume a lot about me don't you? All your assumprions are wrong of course.

M&S infuriated and alienated a lot of their loyal, long term customers when they started this hypocritical nonsense of forcing people to buy a bag in which to take their already expensive food shopping home.

While other retailers were fighting to keep and attract customers, M&S were busy pissing them off and treating them like fools. Like it or not, they lost a lot of business as a direct result of this bags policy. Many M&S staff told me this.

As a shareholder, I don't want the company to be losing ANY customers, especially in a recession.

As for the red arrows, that is a meaningless indicator, since they're all from you anyway

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mraverage88>> I think the feedback says it all.
How often do you need to complain when you go in a shop?
perhaps you're just one of those people who like to complain.

Your arguments are total rubbish. We are in a recession and people change their shopping habits. People lose their jobs and can't afford to shop the same as before.

Even I have and I certainly don't need to. Dut to shares like MKS going from 2.03 to the current 3.86 and Barc (which I bought at £1.00) I'm better off than I have ever been in my life. But we're in a recession and you find yourself dragged into it.

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The reason your wife says that nobody complains about the bag issue is simple..the customers who were aggrieved at being treated like idiots no longer shop at M&S, just one of the reasons why their profits and market share are down.

Or, like myself, they shop there less frequently and it's pointless complaining anymore, however the resentment remains at being taken for a fool. Trust me, it cost them a lot of business.

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"Folks this will be going down tomorrow, get your shorts lined up!!!!!!!!!!
This one is falling, the whole company is screwed and not even bolland can save it. Its no longer an institutuion any longer.
SELL!!!!! SELL!!!!! SELL!!!!!"

Difficult to argue with your prediction on the movement of the share price.

What is your prediction for tomorrow?

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Looks like you won't be shopping in Marks anymore then!
Are you telling me that just because you have to pay for a bag and can't take your own, you now don't shop in Marks.
Sounds to me like cutting your nose off to spite your face.

If you're old enough you would remember that no shops used to have bags.
The best you could get in a supermarket was the cardboard boxes at the back of the tills.

My wife works for Marks and after the initial grumpy customers complaining about bags, she now says that in her store no one mentions it anymore. All the customers either buy one or bring their own. And with the bag for life, which only costs 10p, you just hand it back to the sales assistant when its broken and she gives you another one free.

You're on this website, presumably dealing in shares and making money and you won't buy a bag. Of which a percentage goes to charity anyway. And for that reason you don't shop at Marks. Never heard such a rubbish argument in all my life.

All other supermarkets will follow and charge for bags.
Sainsburys are already doing their best to half hide them. Where will you shop when everywhere charges for bags?

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Don't know about being stuck in an earlier age - with our new boss I would've thought a rapid return to loons and glitter very much on the cards.

I can't wait.

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At Morrisons, Bolland turned round a company with a good product and a poor brand. He realigned the strategic position of Morrisons from being a regional supermarket chain into a national player with a focus on freshness and value. The company was re-positioned and re-branded, translating the brand values from 'Yorkshirespeak' into a language that worked on a national basis. The results speak for themselves, with further growth on the way as the strategy matures.

At M&S, a similar scale of turnaround is required. However the problems are the opposite way round to what Bolland dealt with at Morrisons. M&S still has a decent brand and appears modern. However the product verges on being diabolical and is stuck in an earlier age (with the possible exception of food).

M&S requires a serious shake up. Today, in non-food M&S is an upmarket version of Primark or Matalan, selling mainly to the elderly. In food, it's a niche player selling party food and ready meals to the middle classes. Bolland needs to turn it into an upmarket, better quality version of Next/Gap/Topshop in non-food, targetting a much broader age range of customers. While in food, M&S needs to become a serious contender in the market and properly challenge Sainsburys and Waitrose to become the supermarket of choice for the middle classes.

It will be very interesting to see if Bolland is capable of doing this. If he can, the payoff for shareholders could be spectacular.

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Lol, spot on bud. I agree with your comment too. Its going to be a mammoth christmas.

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that is awesome slim - can i have your autograph ;-)

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I hear this new guy is going to reverse the 'paying for bags' policy. If this is true then I applaud it. I'll start shopping for food in M&S again.

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Fame at last - I get a mention at the bottom

Sold today at 391


http://www.iii.co.uk/articles/articledisplay.jsp?section=Markets&article_id=10061039

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I agree!!!!
I'm only having fun; but I think there will be a slight correction before the man takes over.

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cracking insight there. No generalised sweeping statements at all! Great Analysis - congratulations!

I dont yet know whether I think this is a good appointment or not - only time will tell, but M&S are certainly not going down - only moving in a positive direction, less debt, less shares - I cant see the share price dropping much at all from here!

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Folks this will be going down tomorrow, get your shorts lined up!!!!!!!!!!
This one is falling, the whole company is screwed and not even bolland can save it. Its no longer an institutuion any longer.
SELL!!!!! SELL!!!!! SELL!!!!!

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Well, this should make all those institutions/analysts/market makers happy, for whom Mr Rose could never, ever, do anything right.

I wonder what these 'back-seat drivers' will moan about now. Hopefully they will pick on another company to get their knife into! Those that can do; those that can't...go on about how hopeless those that can, are.

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Get Level 2 now for only £20.00!

Just as long as he doesnt turn that white swan into a lame duck.

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