Marks and Spencer Reviews Summary

Store Layout and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Seriously large store. Even has an opticians. Well spaced and good selection of clothing."
• "Our shopping experience was good with good wheelchair access around the items throughout the store."
• "M&S is spacious & well laid out. The staff are friendly and extremely helpful."
• "Fabulous branch of M&S. Nice and roomy aisles and brilliant amount of stock."
• "The largest Marks and Spencer store I have ever visited. They sell a vast selection of merchandise though they do seem to have withdrawn some departments. It is spacious and well set out."
• "Excellent parking all around the store with easy disabled access."
• "Love this M&S. So big, it's got plenty of choices for everyone and very nice, helpful staff too."

Cons:

• "The location for the toilets is ridiculous you have to walk the other side to the store to locate the toilets when they could have the toilets located nearer to the restaurant."
• "Parking is a nightmare on the weekend and if you've got small children with you, it's absolute hell."
• "Feels very classy but also like you need a golf cart to get around as it's so massive and set out like a jesters labyrinth."
• "Disappointing visit to M&S on this occasion. The person in charge of laying out the store must have enjoyed a previous career designing mazes."
• "A large open store which should make it a pleasant place to shop but; unfortunately I find it really hard to find what I'm looking for."
• "Starting to look a bit tired, despite various refurbs and refreshes over the years. Long bits of gaffer tape covering gaps in the flooring, for example."
• "I have not been to a restaurant or cafe where it took more than 30 minutes to have a table cleared and ready for the next customer."

Customer Service

Pros:

• "Staff are polite welcome in the clothes section has gone a bit too pot needs overhaul in seriously food section great."
• "Good range of clothes to choose from. Staff are helpful and friendly and the place is clean and tidy."
• "Amazing service. I couldn't find some shoes in my size. I spoke to 2 very helpful members of staff who went above and beyond."
• "Staff are helpful, friendly and courteous."
• "Wonderful, helpful staff. Especially Sasha in men’s wear payment area, went the extra mile for us."
• "Anne who served me today was lovely and helpful."
• "And I have always found the staff throughout the store to be friendly and helpful."

Cons:

• "The food hall was dirty, food good, but they should give a better service."
• "Staff all very helpful but clearly the Holmbush Centre branch is understaffed."
• "Hardly any staff to ask questions or help you locate something. Lights are way too bright in there will really hurt your eyes after a while."
• "Staff here in the food hall apart from one or two are rude."
• "Cafe, staff levels are not good enough for a saturday, communication is key and noone knows how to."
• "Terrible Service last week, I asked if they had something in stock in mensware in my size and got a one word answer NO without even checking the stock or saying anything else."
• "Customer service in the cafe is very very poor."

Shopping Experience

Pros:

• "Love this place wonderful peaceful atmosphere no shoplifters running around not that I saw anyway I better type of person shops here I feel comfortable safe."
• "It's always a pleasure to browse, shop or have a coffee there. A great selection available in all the departments, helpful staff on hand, plenty of parking, lovely relaxed atmosphere........shear bliss."
• "Always have a coffee and an iced bun in their cafe before my shopping!"
• "The food is great value for money and always tastes very good."
• "Nice cafe with lots of choice."
• "The children's section had great reductions on pjs, dressing up outfits, toys and festive items."
• "It was a spur of the moment visit BUT it was wonderful we were just in time to get some wonderful bargains really well marked down we got what 171 pounds to 17 pounds so pleased we went in there is a good cafe and food hall as well as a massive selection of clothes of all styles sizes and for men and women as well as children's from birth onwards x x x."

Cons:

• "It's big, it stocks lots of ranges but it always lacks the shopping experience factor for me."
• "Disappointing! The lighting in store is not conducive to a good shopping experience."
• "All the tables at 2pm were dirty, plenty of food debris and mugs, plates and cutlery piled up."
• "The M&S cafe is very good but it is about time the management dealt with the long queues."
• "The smell of the toilets plus seeing ceilings falling apart including leaks is utterly disgusting and gross to witness."
• "I can not believe how messy this store has got. Dirty plates and cups on tables,and people are having to clear there own table as myself and daughter had to."
• "The café was extremely busy and they were very slow getting the hot food out so we had to just leave."

Product Selection and Availability

Pros:

• "Good range of clothing & home wear ranges, always good for pre-Christmas shopping because of the size of store."
• "Lovey branch of M &S. Food hall was well stocked, and is a sizeable one too."
• "Marks & Spencer is a great place to shop. The varieties of Fashion & Products displayed has greatly improved after loads of criticism."
• "The new opticians shop is wonderful, with a great selection."
• "Looked after us for my wedding and ushers suits. From start to finish the customer service was second to none."
• "Their coffee shop makes the best mango smoothie and a very! good coffee."
• "The lunch was delicious."

Cons:

• "Went to buy summer trousers and found rack after rack was full of waist sizes 28-32 and 38 upwards but very few of 34 to 36."
• "Unfortunately wife was told that the item she wanted was no longer available."
• "The location & size of the shop is great, however, Marks & Spencer has in the last few years being making horrendous errors of judgement with their clothing."
• "Very large store just full of stock no one would want to buy."
• "Visited during the sales and found what was on offer very disappointing. Reductions not great and amount of stock in the sale not much at all."
• "They only offered 'slim fit' and I could only find one pair in my average size 36/33 and not in a colour that I wanted."
• "Absolutely awful range of kids choice and women's."

Store Policies and Services

Pros:

• "Marks and Spencer has always been a step above the other large retail shops. They have recently installed self checkouts."
• "I am reasonably technically competent and support the idea of self service."
• "One of the few shops apart from Lidyl where there was no music and it was a PEACEFUL shopping experience!"
• "I always go for a coffee too.in the cafe."
• "Great shop, the cafe is good but needs to work on there gluten free products as I was disappointed once when I wanted to change some bread for some mushrooms with the all day breakfast and was told I could not swap anything in the breakfast."
• "Nothing was too much effort for Jenny & the Ben was very polite & attentive too once we got to the till too!"
• "Took my parents to the cafe. Was very busy but they opened another service area to cope with the long queue."