M and S Shopping

Marks and Spencer are the world famous english institution for quality and value. They are probably the most respected name on the high street, and are loved by millions of shoppers. They have seen some tough times recently, but seem to be turning the corner, and moving the business forward in line with their competitors. Marks and spencer now have an online store to rival any other, and although they have been a little slow to react to the potential of online shopping, they have embraced it to their benefit. The site is very easy to get used to, and all their famous items can be bought over the internet. Marks's own label clothing lines have been very popular for many years, and the focus is on providing good quality rather than cheaper clothes. Having said that, the prices are very reasonable indeed, and the customer service in the high street stores is second to none. Marks and spencer take pride in their operation and it shows with such a loyal following of dedicated customers.

The online catalogue store is not so much like a catalogue but more of a department store. You have the mens and womens sections, a technology department with all the televisions and audio goodies. Food and wine is also available, as well as homeware and furniture. A new gifts department will help you find just the right gifts, and you can even order flowers. One new thing about the site is that it is packed with interactive features, and marks and spencer have taken the lead of the likes of Next and the other big name catalogue retailers by giving a better customer experience. Everyone likes to feel part of the buying process, and you will find videos on the latest fashions, a how to shop guide, as well as m&s tv, so you can keep up to date with the company.

The womens fashion lines are celebrating 125 years this year, and there are a whole host of discounts and special deals around at the moment. You can shop by brand from the likes of Per Una, Autograph and Portfolio, along with the m and s own brand lines. There are dresses, coats, jackets, jeans, lingerie, skirts, shoes, tops, blouses, swimwear and accessories in the womens department. M&S fashion TV can be activated with one click of a button and on here you will get some novel ideas for party wear and holiday wear. There is also a new arrivals section for the latest stock. M and S also sell designer clthes hangers for all your stuff, and the popular choice at the moment are the Joe Mangano Hangers. All the clothes are presented very well, with some good, clean photos, althoug they are one dimensional at present.

The mens section has brnaded names like Timothy Everest for suits and formal wear, Blue Harbour and North Coast are the other brands, as well as the traditional m and s lines, which are always great quality items. There is a new seasons collection feature, and you can shop by size and type of clothing such as trousers, shirts and shoes. Marks and spencer also have a made to measure shirt service where you choose from a range of cuffs, collars, buttons, fabrics and pockets. You can even add a personalised monogram. These ahirts will then be made specially for you, and the prices start at £24.95, which is not bad at all.

The home and furniture department has a very selection of goods, with a huge range of colours and styles. The settees and sofas are very good, and you can choose from single sofas, double sofas, corner sofas, armchairs, recliners, foot stools, bed sofas, and most of these are available in many different colour schemes and patterns. You will also find book cases, warbrobes, tables, chairs, coffee tables, dispay units, console units and side tables and nests. Bedroom and dining room furniture is sold too, and you can shop by size, design, colour or by collection, and there are some very stylish collections at m and s. The prices are not cheap, but there are lots of discounted pieces of furniture that are more reasonable. One thing you can count on is the quality though, m&s do not sell inferior goods to their customers, and this is why they are so well respected.

Also in the home and funiture department are dinner ware, like pots and pans and dinner sets, bedding, soft furniture, linen sets, lamp shdes and light fittings, and much more. Accessories such as clocks, mirrors, candle holders and other little things that can liven up any room are in the home section.

The technology department has televisions, dvd players, computers, mp3 players, games consoles, sat navs, games and beauty electronics and gadgets. If you are not sure about the latest technology then fear not beacuse marks and spencer have a buying guide and some videos to help showcase these gadgets. There are some great dundle deals on at the moment, where you can get a free dvd blue ray player with selected plasma and lcd televisions, which are on sale with big discounts already. The top name nrands in home entertainment including Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Philips are in stock as well as m and s own brand electricals which are a bit cheaper. The choice is pretty large and all the televisions are top rated products, which are more expensive than most other catalogue shopping stores. Again, this comes back to the quality that marks's sell, they operate in a different niche to the likes of argos, tesco and asda. There is free 5 year guarantee on all large tv's and you don't get that at the other stores.

The mobile phones are all on pay as you go, and the selection is not that big, but the phones that are in stock are a good mix of cheaper to more expensive so there is something for most tastes and budgets. Home phones can also be bought, along with all the accessories such as holders. Digital photgraphy is big at m&s, and you have a solid choice at the online store. There are over 40 cameras from the best known brands like Sony, Samsung, Canon and Olympus, and everything in the technology section comes with a minimum of a 2 year guarantee. Look out for codes and special delivery rates, which on some items is free, with free installation as well.

The kids department has clothes where you can shop by size, product or age group. Also for the kids are competitons and costumes, as well as big choice of toys and games to keep them entertained. You can also buy books, dvd's and cd's as well.

The gifts section has some valuable ideas for loved ones or friends, and you can shop for men, women and the kids. Things like gadgets, wine, flowers, and clothes are in here. M&S sell food hampers, hand picked wine hampers, chocolates and other foods, all in unique gift wrapping of your choice. Most of these items can be oredered online and picked up at your local store. A unique feature is the wine plans, and this allows you to receive 12 bottles of wine every 3 months. You can choose between reds, whites and other wines. The first order has an low inrtoductory price of just £40, and after this it will cost around £60, but it still works out at £5 a bottle. The wines are delivered free to your door, and once your account is set up it runs on automatic. You can cancel at any time, or miss a period if you wish. No other online catalogue offers this kind of service, and if you are into your wines, then it is a great way to experience a wide range of wines at an affordable price.

Marks and spencer delivery options are fairly numerous. Standard delivery will cost you £3.50 when it is delivered to your home, and this price relates to small items such as clothes, homeware, small technology goods. You can pay a bit more for nominated day delivery, and m and s will also deliver to your owrkplace or neighbours for the same price. The lead time for standard is 3 working days if your item is in stock, if not it can take up to 7 working days. Now here is where it gets interesting, because you get free delivery on all furniture and large electrical items like televisions and appliances. For furniture the lead time is 2-12 weeks depending on what you have ordered and if it is in stock at the time. Appliances take 3 to 7 working days, and you can choose express delivery on these items which will cost you just £2.99 and it will arrive within 2 working days. This is very good value for money, and is a lot cheaper than most other catalogue companies for larger items and goods.

M and S will also deliver to over 80 countries worldwide, and the prices are very reasonable, with European countires paying just £10 for delivery. You can pick up your order at your local store, and this is free. You need to take your order form with you for identification, and the collect in store feature is for clothing, food and beauty products. Your order will be available for 3 to 5 days for collection in store, after that it will be returned to stock and your money refunded.

Gift vouchers can be purchased on the site, and they will be delivered to your home, or you can get them at your local store on the high street. All deliveries can be tracked online if you sign up with m and s. You will also get e-mail updates on the latest bargains and deals for free, so it is an effective way to ensure you don't miss out on anything.

All in all marks and spencer shopping is the real deal. It has a great selection of quality products for all the family. All the departments have good stock levels, and a wide variety of all sorts of things. They may not be the cheapest around, but customer satisfaction and quality are what m and s are all about. It is what their business is built on, and their reputation. A new feedback system has just come into use, and now you can give your opinion on customer experience and satisfaction, and m&s will listen to you. It is the way forward, and shows that they do care about evry single customer, which can be very difficult when your company is so large. The online shopping store is very user friendly, and everything is easy to find, with some good interactive features to enhance the experience. M and S has reinvented itself over the last few years, and the site is proof of that.