Different perspective on M&S returning to France

[breizh]

http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/agroalimentaire-biens-de-consommation-luxe/20110401trib000612393/marks-spencer-fait-son-grand-retour-en-france.html

Could M&S completely shake up the retail market in France. You know introducing alien concepts like, Customer Service, Returns Policy, internet deliveries (that actually work), quality food to go, clean and pleasant stores, etc? All things at which French retailers markedly fail.

Looks like they are really going for it in a big way. The Champs Elysees store might be the headline bit, but the strategic plan is much, much bigger. More retail stores. Food only stores at railway stations, airports, etc. Internet. I think the last 2 are the biggies.

There will be a BIG budget for all this, there will a strategic plan, and they're been planning it for years! There is almost a very high level of goodwill in the big French cities towards M&S on which to build. They won't be opening stores where the locals all marry their cousins (at best!).

Maybe they will do what McDo did with fast food, and totally wipe out the local opposition? Or what Brake Bros have with the local restaurants?

Importing daily from the UK seems logical. It bypasses the clout the InterClercs would bring to bear on local suppliers to not contract to M&S. Shrewd move.

[Chancer]

[quote user="breizh"]

There will be a BIG budget for all this, there will a strategic plan, and they're been planning it for years! There is almost a very high level of goodwill in the big French cities towards M&S on which to build. They won't be opening stores where the locals all marry their cousins (at best!).

[/quote]

You may well find that that has been discussed during the formulation of the strategic plan.

Where I live all customers are routinely abused, French or foreign whatever the business, the worst examples seem to be those in tourism which is crazy, it got so bad that the local tourist office brought in the big guns from the region and they ran courses on what the expectations are of visitors from outside the area, they were not well attended and a couple ended up with fists flying, needless to say nothing changed most places are still shut throughout the whole of the holiday.

And then came along the new Hôtel Ibis which blew all the competition out of the water, it was new, clean but most important of all properly run and managed, it got 100% occupancy within weeks and remains so even in the close season, they are already planning to double the number of rooms.

One slight hiccup though, the gene pool of the locality from which they recruit from, as I said things were brilliant at first and there was absolutely no comparison with the other hôtels in the area but after 6 months or so the managers who got it up and running left, presumably for the next start up and there was a massive decline, now the customer service is typical Picard stylie, at best uninterested and indifferent but mostly outright hostility, that said the place and the rooms are 10000% better than any of the other hôtels who did the typical reaction around here when bookings drop, put up the prices!! So it remains the hôtel of choice.

Oh how I would love a Marks and Sparks but if they did their normal no quibble refund policy the ar5e would soon get ripped out of it.

[Poppy]

They didn't manage to 'shake up the retail market'  last time they were in France but it would be lovely if somebody could [:D]

[Clair]

[quote user="breizh"]... introducing alien concepts like, Customer Service, Returns Policy, internet deliveries (that actually work), quality food to go, clean and pleasant stores, etc? All things at which French retailers markedly fail.[/quote]

[8-)]

Darty seem to have mastered these "alien concepts"very well. I'm sure they're not alone in doing so...

On the topic of M&S in Paris: Exotic Marks & Spencer likely to tickle lazy Parisian tastebuds

[Quillan]

I would like to see Tesco's and Sainsbury's open in France although I don't know how the farmers would react to being screwed down on prices. It would be so nice to order my Supermarket shopping online and sit on the terrace with a G&T waiting for it to arrive. God how I hate going shopping (unless its a DIY store of course, all them lovely power tools [;-)] )

[Poppy]

Totally agree Quillan, we can but dream over a G&T.

I hate that M&S advert that says dine for £10 inc wine.

PS  Are G&T's allowed on the Dukan Diet [blink]

[idun]

I wouldn't say that Darty were any shining light in customer service. Often the staff were disinterested. Our local one was consistently from average to poor, never good, but still a step up from Confo.

I used to drive through to M&S in Lyon fairly often, years ago,it was always good. I was sorry when they closed their doors. I never took anything back, so wouldn't know how they would have handled real customer service.

I rarely shop at M&S in the UK. It felt like their concern for their customers eroded and IMO imploded several years ago. Now in the old days, I would holiday in the UK and spend maybe a few hundred pounds there on each visit. I would say that if I have spent £100 in the last three years that will be it. Don't like W H Smith or Boots either.

And I once bought one of M&S's meals with wine. A friend kept raving about them. The wine was OK, just table wine, sadly I even ended up taking the pud back, the veg weren't up to much either.

[Judith]

I have to agree about Darty, we were not impressed. 

Once, we asked an assistant, when trying to find what we wanted.... a record player (or turntable whatever they are called these days)... he said they are not made anymore (note - made - not sell).  Strange how you can find them advertised online and in catalogues, and sometimes Carrefour sell them,  but not at the quality we want, which is why we went to an electronics place.   So if they don't know their subject,  I wouldn't trust their customer service either.

I don't expect M&S will come anywhere useful near us ..... shame ..... used to be my shop of choice 20 years ago, and still is for some items of underwear.

[idun]

20 years ago they were good, very good.

[Gardian]

[quote user="breizh"]

http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/agroalimentaire-biens-de-consommation-luxe/20110401trib000612393/marks-spencer-fait-son-grand-retour-en-france.html

Food only stores at railway stations, airports, etc. Internet. I think the last 2 are the biggies.

[/quote]

A subject close to my heart.

Avignon TGV is a superb station & the train services match it. The problem is the catering.

On train, it's a disaster - nothing at all to get excited about from the 'buffet-cum-bar'.

At the station, the catering is hopeless; too small, too busy, some outlets often shut, just bad.

Any re-entry by M&S in to France is much more complicated. I just wonder whether it's style (and I don't mean just the clothes) really suits the French, other than for a spend-up when on their hols?   

[HoneySuckleDreams]

NEXT plc used to be in France as well.  I think they pulled out in 1999 when David Jones was at the helm, and just before Wolfson took over as they found the employment laws prohibitive and employment costs extortionate (i.e not making any profit).

Maybe M&S should employ some expats who might know a bit about "the shopping experience" and help mentor the French through the change from socialist to capitilist values

[NickP]

[quote user="crazyfrog"]

NEXT plc used to be in France as well.  I think they pulled out in 1999 when David Jones was at the helm, and just before Wolfson took over as they found the employment laws prohibitive and employment costs extortionate (i.e not making any profit).

Maybe M&S should employ some expats who might know a bit about "the shopping experience" and help mentor the French through the change from socialist to capitilist values

[/quote]

Wonderful idea but unfortunately the French protectionist labour laws won't allow that. And after all why be helpful to the customers, they'll only come back and interrupt the very important conversations going on between the employees. [:D]

[Simon-the-censored]

Always makes me laugh when I see the words Customer Service and France on the same page - such a contradiction in terms!

I often think there must be an opening for some kind of nationwide service delivery programme and then.... I look at the French side of my family and realise it's a cultural change programme that would be needed - a whole different kettle of fish.....

Very best of luck to M&S !

Simon :-)

[Gardengirl]

Along with Waitrose I use M&S a lot when in our UK house. I always find M&S staff very helpful, whether in the large store in town or the small branch 5 minutes walk away from home, which sells mostly food.

When there was a lot of snow in January 2010 my OH was in bed with flu, and I'd recently had operations. The cars were snowed in, so I walked round to M&S each day and brought back what I could carry in a small rucksack.

One day I realised I'd got too much to carry, and told the woman on the till that I needed to put some things back. She asked where I lived, said another member of staff lived nearby and would deliver it for me. She arrived pulling an M&S plastic food tray as a sledge, and told me just to phone in for anything I wanted and she'd deliver it! It was so kind, and whenever I walked round over the next couple of weeks, she'd come rushing over and tell me not to carry much, she'd bring it.

This very helpful delivery must have had the blessing of the manager, and was very much appreciated.

If Waitrose and M&S were to open anywhere in our area, I'd be very tempted to move here permanently - despite the baking summers!  [:)]

[Judith]

[quote user="idun"]

20 years ago they were good, very good.

[/quote]

Yes!  That's why they were then my shop of choice.....

I still have clothes bought from them .... which unfortunately are just beginnign to be too small - tried on a size 10 blouse today (bought probably about 1990) - it still fastens, but is finally pulling across the breast, which is not surprising since I am now probably more like a 14 around there!  I know of no other clothes supplier of which I could say that - they were always well cut and of generous (but not oversiezed) proportions..... and in those days (before Tescos and Sainsbury's  landed on every street corner) there was really nowhere else in the centre of London to shop with such good quality food.

[idun]

Funny how these clothes shrink over the years isn't it [;-)] but well done for still getting a size 10 on, even if it is pulling a bit.

I still buy bras from M&S and was buying tights, but they became 'tight' with their sizing, as in mean, and the usual size which I had bought for years suddenly became a wrestling match to get on. This was before I lost weight a couple of years ago. I put them on and started walking down the steep stairs at my old house. As I put my foot from  the first step and onto the second,  I felt an awful feeling of the tights rolling down, and they kept on, across my belly, upper legs and then to my knees as I was clinging onto the banister for literally my life.

Fortunately didn't fall down stairs, but it really was a close thing, and if my bad knee had done it's little trick of blocking, then I reckon I would have fallen. I was shaken never the less and had pulled my shoulder.

I took the tights back and said that they were lethal as they had changed the sizing and quality, the stretch was gone too. The assistant was saying that I could have my money back and I more or less told her to go to hell and get their products sorted out. Their tights used to be so good, pity. And I went back to Pretty Polly who make lovely tights.