Category Archives: Marks and Spencer

Turning Around another Supertanker; Marks and Spencer

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

It has been a while since I have written about Tesco, Marmite excepting, and the last few times I did, I used the analogy of a supertanker and the relative slowness at which lumbering retail giants see their strategies take … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer Change, Digital, Food Retailing, Internet shopping, Marks and Spencer, Property, Retailers, Shop Numbers, Simply Food, Store Closures, Turnaround | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A quiet few weeks in retailing (not)

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

The last few weeks have been really quiet in retailing – no, just kidding.  What with Brexit – and the uncertainty it has generated – beginning to take hold in the markets, the unfolding BHS and Sports Direct scandals putting … Continue reading →

Posted in administration, Asda, Brexit, Discounters, Food Retailing, Lidl, Marks and Spencer, My Local, Netto, Sainsbury, Sports Direct | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Asa Briggs and Marks and Spencer

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

The other week the eminent social historian Asa Briggs died.  Despite my not being an historian this was a name I knew.  I came across his work when I wanted to look at aspects of the social history of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Corporate History, Heritage, History, Marks and Spencer, Retail Change, Retail History, Sanders Bros | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Marks and Sparks

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Leigh Sparks

In the dim and distant past, when I first arrived at the University of Stirling, I was one of number of research follows and assistants involved in establishing the Institute for Retail Studies under the leadership of John Dawson. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Experiential, Loyalty, Loyalty Schemes, Marks and Spencer, Membership, Relationships, Sparks, University of Stirling | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sustainable Development by Retailers in Europe

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Leigh Sparks

In 1987 I went to Poland at the invitation of the British Academy/Polish Academy of Sciences. It was an interesting trip and we even published some quick reflections on the retailing we encountered in Warsaw and Krakow (see here). Fast … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, European Retailers, Incredible Edible, Marks and Spencer, Poland, Retail Diversity, Sustainable Development, Tesco | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thoughts on Tesco and M&S

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Leigh Sparks

The obvious cheap shot, unresisted by a number on social media so far today, is that whilst Tesco have revealed their Trading Statement for the last 19 weeks, we need to wait a while to see if these figures are … Continue reading →

Posted in Availability, Click and Collect, Consumer Change, Food Retailing, Logistics, Marks and Spencer, Multichannel, Pricing, Store Closures, Supply Chains, Tesco, Turnaround | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Christmas Past; Christmas Future?

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Leigh Sparks

With the Asda results due this week, the dust has sort of settled over Christmas trading. There are plenty of reports and coverage on the winners and loser based on sales and some evidence for some on the impacts on … Continue reading →

Posted in Availability, Christmas, Consumer Change, Internet shopping, Marks and Spencer, Multichannel, PC World, Technology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Multi-channel Vision?

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Leigh Sparks

In my catch-up from being away, I saw a piece in Retail Week (7 September 2012, p32-34, M&S’s multichannel vision) which I wanted to read and consider at more length. Years ago, some of us were asked about the effects … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer Change, Design, Marks and Spencer, Multichannel | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t Bank On It

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Leigh Sparks

I was in a Building Society branch last Saturday morning in the centre of Stirling – a rare enough occurrence on its own, but made more interesting by the conversation going on next to me. The customer had a problem … Continue reading →

Posted in Banks, Customer Service, Internet shopping, Marks and Spencer, Opening Hours | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Easter, Tesco and M&S

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Leigh Sparks

Another month, another set of Scottish retail sales figures, another disast…   Oh, hang on, these weren’t the worst figures ever; which makes quite a nice change. The headline figures were actually not so bad; well at first glance. But, look … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, Customer Service, Marks and Spencer, Retailers, Scottish Retail Sales, Stock, Tesco | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments