Marks & Spencer Group PLC Discussion Board http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion http://www.iii.co.uk/icons/logos/uk_logo.gif http://www.iii.co.uk tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5613430 So I gave Waitrose a look and liked what I saw. I now only go to M&S once a week because I prefer their curries but that's about all.
Also, I understand from a few M&S checkout staff that loads of customers simply abandoned their shopping on the checkout when told they had to pay for a bag. M&S lost a huge amount of business, some of it forever.
Imagine spending £150 on food and they ask you "do you need a bag?" Of course I need an effing bag I don't happen to have one in my pocket all day long just in case I go to M&S, and I don't plan my food shopping as a weekly military exercise.

By cantstandf00ls ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5613430&action=detail Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:40:00 GMT cantstandf00ls tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5613078
If I'd had to pay for my bags I would've thought very little of it as the price would have been less than 0.2% of my expenditure, and being asked to pay for plastic nowadays seems de jour with all the hullabaloo over global temps.

Now if the shop didn't have ANY bags I would have had a fit. By Gobobo ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5613078&action=detail Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:26:00 GMT Gobobo tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5612454 Or did they perhaps work out that they might just annoy rather too many customers if they charged for bags in clothing?
By mraverage88 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5612454&action=detail Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:19:00 GMT mraverage88 tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5612218
i dont really think it does though demonstrate hypocrisy, more 'double standards', which is what it needs in this case: food - clothing - two very different areas of the business, two very different shopping experiences, different customers.

would you prefer MKS to charge for bags in textiles aswell and maybe a tray in the cafe to ensure consistency? would that make the company more appealing to you? By modfather90 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5612218&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:07:00 GMT modfather90 tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5612192 This point ably demonstrates the hypocrisy of M&S. Thankyou! By mraverage88 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5612192&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:48:00 GMT mraverage88 tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5612181
MKS is always setting new standards in CSR. Was there concern about customer boycotts in 1997 when they began to only sell free range eggs??? (i dont know the answer to this but it would make an interesting comparison if anyone remembers)

a 9p/5p charge is far from compulsory on every transaction infact surely in the M&S 'ideal world' there would be no bags at tillpoints? the charge is just incentivising a larger amount of people to bring a bag with them. money for charities is a positive bi product

the majority of customers surely realize the incentive and don't just dismiss it as a money maker for the company (because its not) and most customers bring their own bag as a result

also another really important point is that carrier bags are only charged for on food purchases! you can have as many as you like for a shirt!

with regards to a lower profit margin surely this has a lot to do with the fact that a lot of the revenue figure is derived from the sales of that fantastic dine in for £10 offer - a less profitable sale for the company. whilst revenue is relatively stable in these tougher times thanks largely i think to the £10 sales, profit margins take bit of a battering. dine in offer definitely a great 'loss' leader though.


By modfather90 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5612181&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:42:00 GMT modfather90 tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5612049
*******************

HEY! I resent that! I know people who never comment on iii, but regularly give arrows - red and blue! A fellow investor club member reads these boards and hasn't commented since Urbium got taken over, but occasionally knocks out the old "agincourt mortar" as it were.

Was in MKS today. Even bought a shirt. Pretty busy. There was a fascist gauleiter ordering shoppers to form orderly queues at a new till especially opened to cope with the numbers. Almost consoling were it not an abject lesson on the ease with which totalitarian governments can take hold. One second it's controlling queues at the local M&S, the next it's political undesirables off to a holding area just north of watford.

Share price prediction? What do you take me for? Some sorta mug?

Oh, go on then... Sideways, then up a bit, then down a bit. Then a bit more sideways. You heard it here first!

An early Merry Christmas to one and all!

Professor Marcus. By Promarc ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5612049&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:40:00 GMT Promarc tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5611937 M&S lost a lot of business by introducing the bags policy, and I'm astonished that any M&S shareholder would support any move that alienates valuable customers when there is so much strong competition.
As for the red arrows, I'm afraid you're wrong on this too. At least 3 of them were from accounts opened many years ago by people who've never posted a single comment, in other words accounts set up for the purpose of marking people down mischieviously evn though they have no knowledge or interest in the discussion. mariouslouca for example. They're all your accounts buddy.
Now, do you want M&S to make profits, or are you one of those naive people who actually think the world will be saved by supermarkets not giving people a bag? By mraverage88 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5611937&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:03:00 GMT mraverage88 tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5611339 http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5611339&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:30:00 GMT CCSIceman tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5611337 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.
By CCSIceman ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5611337&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:29:00 GMT CCSIceman tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5611250 http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5611250&action=detail Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:48:00 GMT adiadio tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5609905
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 By mraverage88 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5609905&action=detail Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:06:00 GMT mraverage88 tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5606860 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.

By CCSIceman ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5606860&action=detail Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:38:00 GMT CCSIceman tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5604676
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. By mraverage88 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5604676&action=detail Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:13:00 GMT mraverage88 tag:iii.co.uk,2003:tst.5604074 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?
By nettle124 ]]> http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:MKS.L&display=discussion&id=5604074&action=detail Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:47:00 GMT nettle124