Marks & Spencer

Ask anyone who knows me, I love M&S. I really love M&S but this one is just a ‘like’ situation.
No issues on the layout (spacious), customer service (good/​helpful) or selection (improved over the years)
The main issues here are the price. Why does this M&S charge more for the exact same items I can get in Greenwich or Lewisham? Those pence add up.
Also, this one is really out of the way in Jubilee Place. Yeah, they tucked this baby in the corner. Shame, because other than those points it’s okay.

This review is to remind me not to come back here, again. First off, I have to emphasize that there is nothing wrong with the staff, location, or cleanliness of the store. That being said, it sucks anyway.
The whole store is overpriced and selection is extremely limited. I think the Tescos Express nearby has more to choose from, in terms of cooking ingredients. This place is possibly suitable for those who like to live solely on microwavable tv-​dinners, but even then this M&S is too expensive.
To give you an example, the last time I went here, I needed 3 things: Baby carrots, beef brisket, and toilet paper. I need more fiber in my diet. Anyway, so I managed to get semi-​acceptable substitutes for what I needed, but it really annoyed me that I could buy these three items. I ended up settling for pre-​sliced regular carrots, minced beef, and brandless (yet pricey) toilet paper.
Also, if you like candy, you’ll be stuck with weird pink piggy gummies from M&S. Maybe I’m too much of a commercialized person, but it does sort of bother me that most of the stuff here aren’t from name brands. It’s not that I’m advocating big business, but it’s nice to know that there is some kind of «fall back» selection. Generic brands seem to be a bit random in quality. Of course, generic brands that are expensive make you wonder what’s the point.
Plastic bags will cost you money. It’s a good idea in theory, to promote reusable materials, but it’s also an inconvenience.
Lastly, the clothing section at this M&S is just sad. Please remove it and replace it with more food choices. No one is going to buy clothes from here anyway.

A bit annoyed that such a bustling outlet carries such an incredibly narrow range of fresh meats and vegetables. This is a good place for working professionals looking to grab semi-​prepared foods (ready-​to-​heat, ready-​to-​eat).
Their range of wines, beers and soft drinks is quite thin. There is an impressive wall of juices in the rear section, I must admit.
Last I checked (on an early weekday evening) their asparagus was as thick as church candles. A lonely pack of mushroom sat on the shelf. There was no garlic. And only two choices of steak were offered — small and smaller. Yet there is an expansive collection of sauces, condiments and olive oil.
They also sell mid– to lower-​tier women’s wear. And greeting cards.
I really don’t understand their retail format.

With the Dine for tenner offers, I’ve been spending a lot of time in here
Ok it’s not for the food, pretty much standard ‘premium’ fare with some nice seasoning. However, it’s the deserts that M&S truly excels in! Wamr chocolate fudge deserts, profiteroles on a lunch break, hell even the stuff you have to oven cook is pretty special!
There’s no staff around ever when you need them which is a massive bugbear, especially now when half their ’tills’ are self service. But shelfs seem to magically fill by themselves
Bring on more deserts!