Reply to: Anyone at M&S?

[eek]

+1 and with Primark & the supermarkets upping their game its getting even more interesting.

M&S should be going high end like they can't compete at the bottom end but their kit is now poor quality and as you say old.

They can always start a few outlet stores if they want to try the value arena.

+1 needed to buy a couple of pairs of work trousers weekend before last.

The Marks quality is worse than primark. I ended up in House of Fraser and Next as they really were the only decent options.

[tomtomagain]

Anyway the fact that they have almost completely outsourced their IT isn't the cause of their problems.

Well I say that isn't the problem but ...... you outsource all your technical guys ( IT and non-IT ), contract out your design, shut down your UK manufacturing, only employee minimum wage-staff in your shops and try and manage everything through 3rd party contracts.

And one day you wake up and the business isn't working. But there's no smart people left to tell you why and the people that are left either don't have the motivation or influence any more to fix it.

[vetran]

Why indeed?

Anyway the fact that they have almost completely outsourced their IT isn't the cause of their problems.

The cause of the problems is that they actually don't have anything in "General Merchandising" worth buying.

I wanted to buy a couple of lamps the other day. I looked at M&S. The range was atrocious, they had almost nothing. So I got them from John Lewis instead.


The only thing I'd buy from them is a nice sandwich, the clothes and range of other products is years behind other retailers.

What are they trying to be? A value shop? Or a quality shop? 'cos at the moment they are neither.

+1 and with Primark & the supermarkets upping their game its getting even more interesting.

M&S should be going high end like they can't compete at the bottom end but their kit is now poor quality and as you say old.

They can always start a few outlet stores if they want to try the value arena.

[Unix]

Why indeed?

Anyway the fact that they have almost completely outsourced their IT isn't the cause of their problems.

The cause of the problems is that they actually don't have anything in "General Merchandising" worth buying.

I wanted to buy a couple of lamps the other day. I looked at M&S. The range was atrocious, they had almost nothing. So I got them from John Lewis instead.


The only thing I'd buy from them is a nice sandwich, the clothes and range of other products is years behind other retailers.

What are they trying to be? A value shop? Or a quality shop? 'cos at the moment they are neither.

I agree, John Lewis/Waitrose should acquire/merge with M&S and rebrand M&S to Waitrose for all their local food M&S places and John Lewis for their dept stores.

[tomtomagain]

that ain't going to happen.

why would we want UK tax payers?

Why indeed?

Anyway the fact that they have almost completely outsourced their IT isn't the cause of their problems.

The cause of the problems is that they actually don't have anything in "General Merchandising" worth buying.

I wanted to buy a couple of lamps the other day. I looked at M&S. The range was atrocious, they had almost nothing. So I got them from John Lewis instead.


The only thing I'd buy from them is a nice sandwich, the clothes and range of other products is years behind other retailers.

What are they trying to be? A value shop? Or a quality shop? 'cos at the moment they are neither.

[Troll]

M&S has about 300 - 400 TCS/Congnizant staff at its IT headquarters in Stockley park..

I can only imagine the state of the toilets now

[Unix]

I'm going there for some lunch later, why?

[vetran]

By "Brought Back" you mean imported the technical staff from India. They didn't re-create the technical function with UK staff or contractors. M&S has about 300 - 400 TCS/Congnizant staff at its IT headquarters in Stockley park.

If someone ever tightened up the Visa rules they'd be absolutely screwed.

that ain't going to happen.

why would we want UK tax payers?

[tomtomagain]

I'd heard they eventually bought the support function back to the UK after 18 months

By "Brought Back" you mean imported the technical staff from India. They didn't re-create the technical function with UK staff or contractors. M&S has about 300 - 400 TCS/Congnizant staff at its IT headquarters in Stockley park.

If someone ever tightened up the Visa rules they'd be absolutely screwed.

[pjclarke]

I did a stint at M&S Stockley Park some years ago - eventually some head bobbers took over the core infrastructure support, they left some poor UK manager in charge to oversee the transition and almost from day one there were "issues" ... in the end I had to feel sorry for him trying to polish a turd but couldn't help but feel he was being set up

I'd heard they eventually bought the support function back to the UK after 18 months

Memories of M&S...
The bus shuttle to and from Paddington was a great place to have a nap / kill some time - being stuck in London traffic and being paid for it... nice
M&S stationary cupboard was well worth looting
Paddington office was a nice place to hold lots of meetings
Totty in the Paddington office was worth the visit

WHS esp the latter. Female dress code seems to be 'informal cocktail party';-) And the staff restaurant

[barrydidit]

Memories of M&S...
The bus shuttle to and from Paddington was a great place to have a nap / kill some time - being stuck in London traffic and being paid for it... nice
M&S stationary cupboard was well worth looting
Paddington office was a nice place to hold lots of meetings
Totty in the Paddington office was worth the visit

^This. Is a proper review of a clientco. Well done that Troll

[RedSauce]

I was there until end of jan. Place is a disaster.

[Troll]

Laura Wade-Gery

not even a 8 pinter



Hmmm...

[Troll]

I did a stint at M&S Stockley Park some years ago - eventually some head bobbers took over the core infrastructure support, they left some poor UK manager in charge to oversee the transition and almost from day one there were "issues" ... in the end I had to feel sorry for him trying to polish a turd but couldn't help but feel he was being set up

I'd heard they eventually bought the support function back to the UK after 18 months

Memories of M&S...
The bus shuttle to and from Paddington was a great place to have a nap / kill some time - being stuck in London traffic and being paid for it... nice
M&S stationary cupboard was well worth looting
Paddington office was a nice place to hold lots of meetings
Totty in the Paddington office was worth the visit

[Zero Liability]

I'd like to think it's even a requirement for advancement, let alone barrier.

I bet she loathes contractors too.