M&S a bit overrated?

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  • malpascmalpasc Posts: 9,626
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    Sorry, I have to disagree. Waitrose fresh food is almost always of superior quality but you do pay a premium compared to Tesco etc. and the branded goods are nearly always more expensive and not just by a penny or two. I do shop there occasionally for certain things but I refuse to pay 30-50p or so over the odds for the privillege especially as they tend to be the most souless of supermarkets. Some of the staff are very nice but many are miserable and as for the customers!!!! My OH refuses to come in with me now, he finds it too depressing. BTW, my opinion is not based on one store.

    I'm going to disagree. Our shopping in Waitrose more or less comes to the same total as if we had done it in Sainsbury's. (we tend to alternate between Waitrose and Sainsbury's on a weekly-ish basis). As for store layout, both are fine in the branches that we use. Waitrose staff are more helpful I find generally. Customer profile-wise in our area both stores attract a fairly similar crowd really. We live in an area with a growing young, white middle class population working in media, design, art etc and both stores are probably equally frequented by similar people.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 10,488
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    malpasc wrote: »
    I'm going to disagree. Our shopping in Waitrose more or less comes to the same total as if we had done it in Sainsbury's. (we tend to alternate between Waitrose and Sainsbury's on a weekly-ish basis). As for store layout, both are fine in the branches that we use. Waitrose staff are more helpful I find generally. Customer profile-wise in our area both stores attract a fairly similar crowd really. We live in an area with a growing young, white middle class population working in media, design, art etc and both stores are probably equally frequented by similar people.

    It does depend on what you buy. Personally, I really only ever buy meat and fish in Waitrose for the reasons I detailed before and I don't generally buy ready meals in any shop. Sainsbury, in my opinion, is ridiculously overpriced. I suppose I'm fortunate that as I no longer work, and I'm no supermarket snob, I can truely shop around and regularly visit M&S ( yes it is overrated and going downhill ) Tesco, Sainbury, Asda, Morrisons and ALDI and I will look for the best value and quality in each. For example, I bought some Pilgrims Choice cheese in Tesco a week or so ago for £2.50. A few days later I was in Morrisons and the same cheese was £1.99 so I bought some more but on the same day I was in Waitrose and it was £2.99. All were on 'special offer'.
  • malpascmalpasc Posts: 9,626
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    I believe actually that across the whole spectrum of supermarkets they are actually much of a muchness price-wise. Individual items in supermarkets will vary in price but if you get a basket full of the exact same items in every supermarket the total cost will not be wildly different. Particularly if you buy own brands.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,163
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    Marks and spencer has gone down hill and plenty of their popular items they stop stocking for one reason or another. I used to buy their vegetarian ready made meals for lunch but you can't get them any more. There's hardly anything edible on their stores. Waitrose isn't that great. The items I got tasted bland compared to M&S equivalent. I used to like their avocado sandwich but you can't get it now. It's only good for pizza.
  • dragonrapidedragonrapide Posts: 1,249
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    We used to buy all our food in Tesco. Now we buy most of our food in M&S. Their fruit and veg is far better than Tesco and more or less the same price, sometimes less.

    Fresh meat and fish is also good. Frozen oven chips by far the best we have tasted. Jars of Simply M&S olives, so cheap and last for ages even when jar opened. Their pasta too is wonderful.

    We don't buy their ready meals, apart from pizza, just fresh meat and veg. Oh yes one thing to avoid is their beef mince, really fatty, I hated it. Back to the butcher for that.

    We tried their party take away ordering service and were not that impressed. Also found the Chinese take away to be really ghastly apart from the half a duck for shredded duck.

    As for their clothes, I could go on and on about my thoughts on the stupid way they refuse to group clothing, i.e. all trousers and jeans together. Have not bought any clothes from there for ages, can't be ars** to walk for miles looking for trousers only to find even more as I am about to walk out. Who can be bothered to go all the way back to the fitting rooms again, not me.
  • malpascmalpasc Posts: 9,626
    Forum Member
    Marks and spencer has gone down hill and plenty of their popular items they stop stocking for one reason or another. I used to buy their vegetarian ready made meals for lunch but you can't get them any more. There's hardly anything edible on their stores. Waitrose isn't that great. The items I got tasted bland compared to M&S equivalent. I used to like their avocado sandwich but you can't get it now. It's only good for pizza.

    An avocado sandwich? I'd imagine that would be pretty bland if the avocado wasn't sandwiched with something else. :confused:
  • confuddledconfuddled Posts: 3,758
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    i decided i wanted some new lamps and cushions for my lounge and having seen a lamp i liked on the M&S website i took myself off to town on sunday despite the heat.:eek:
    my local Marks has reduced its home section to little more than candles and face cloths. it used to display sofa's, the lot !
    not one single cushion or lamp did they have:mad:
    since i was there i then decided to generally look around and a thought struck me......''how the f.eck is this crowd still in business''.
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