# What is Marks & Spencer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437 "2004-10-21T17:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/1 "2004-10-21T17:07:25Z")
Stupid question, I know. I’ve been reading too many British chick-lit novels, and I can’t quite figure out what this place is. It seems like it’s a chain, but I’m not sure. It also seems like maybe it’s a department or clothing store - but then the characters get full take home meals there. So, is it a grocery store? Is it a combo? Is it low end, middle, high end? Is there any store that’s comparable in the US? ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/2 "2004-10-21T17:10:25Z")
[http://www.marksandspencer.com/](http://www.marksandspencer.com/) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/3 "2004-10-21T17:13:10Z")
It’s a department store. Slap-bang in the middle of the range, a traditional feature of a British high street - so it’s a handy metaphor in a novel for simple, traditional, the obvious option. Relatively recently they’ve moved into food retail, selling a slightly higher quality (and more expensive) selection than supermarkets offer. This has grown to become a major part of their sales. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/4 "2004-10-21T17:13:12Z")
There used to be Marks & Spencer stores in Canada as well as the UK, but I haven’t seen one in years. Basically they sell about everything - sort of like an upscale walmart. They have they’re own brand of some items (ready meals, clothing) but I believe they carry other brands as well. My mom used to love M&S. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/5 "2004-10-21T17:21:57Z")
Sort of a **Nordstrom’s** meets **Trader Joe’s** , I suppose. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/6 "2004-10-21T17:27:16Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Sort of a **Nordstrom’s** meets **Trader Joe’s** , I suppose. 😃 Good analogy. I loved Marks & Spencer, I wish they had stores around here like that. Their convenience foods were perfect for me - excellent for a single diner. ---
**Author:** ![ookpik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c68b51/32.png) [@ookpik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ookpik)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/7 "2004-10-21T18:09:10Z")
I’m surprised to see that the food section is a new feature. I used to be a regular customer at M&S in Montreal back in the early 80’s where we’d pick up a wide variety of products by a supplier called St-Michael’s. Potato scones were quite popular around our house. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/8 "2004-10-21T18:11:02Z")
OK, _comparitively_ new 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/9 "2004-10-21T18:20:24Z")
I don’t know if this is still true but they used to have a very good returns policy. If you were not satisfied with the product , or it became defective , they would change it or give you your money back with no questions asked. Even if you had owned it for some time . There used to be a joke going round that Boxing Day ( December 26 ) was also called St Michael’s Day ( M & S 's brand name ) This was because of all the people getting money back from unsuitable sweaters and other clothing bought for them by well meaning friends and relatives. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/10 "2004-10-21T18:25:26Z")
> [@ookpik2](#): > > we’d pick up a wide variety of products by a supplier called St-Michael’s. Not quite - St Michael is the brand name that M&S uses for its own brand products. Actually, I don’t think it’s used so much these days - the food seems to go under the Marks & Spencer brand, and the clothing has all sorts of “trendy” names… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/11 "2004-10-21T18:37:47Z")
The St Michael brand is still going strong - just not in the overpriced stuff at the front of the store. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/12 "2004-10-21T19:34:18Z")
Until recently, M&S sold nearly all of the underwear worn in the UK. I reckon it was when women started wearing posh knickers all the time that their current financial woes began. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/13 "2004-10-21T21:13:47Z")
St. Michael’s Port is surprisingly yummy. And M&S features my favourite line of clothing (seriously!) - “per Una”: [http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant\_Id=1&Section\_Id=5889&Page\_Count=1&RestartFlow=t](http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=5889&Page_Count=1&RestartFlow=t) ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/14 "2004-10-21T21:26:22Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > They have they’re own brand of some items (ready meals, clothing) but I believe they carry other brands as well. I’m pretty sure everything in M&S is own-brand. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/15 "2004-10-21T21:30:18Z")
Marks & Spencer is sometimes referred to as ‘Marks & Sparks’ ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/16 "2004-10-21T21:30:23Z")
OK someone ship me a couple thousand of those chocolate muffin thingies with caramel in the center? Now I’m craving them something fierce. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/17 "2004-10-21T22:25:50Z")
While you’re at it, send me a crate of M&S Sticky Toffee Pudding. Ta. ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/18 "2004-10-21T22:34:09Z")
I only know this song from the Belle and Sebastian song 'the state that I am in," and I’ve heard “Marks and Sparks” in Mott the Hoople’s ‘All the Young Dudes’ ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/19 "2004-10-21T22:41:43Z")
Don’t worry about missing anything important, **PaulFitzroy** : Belle & Sebastian being a more informative source than M&S suggests that my geek adolescence wasn’t an entire waste. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437/20 "2004-10-22T03:08:23Z")
silenus writes: \> Sort of a Nordstrom’s meets Trader Joe’s, I suppose. I think that Trader Joe’s is more upscale than Marks and Spencer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-marks-spencer/270437.md?page=2)