# Marks & Spencers 20% off sale very popular



## LDFerguson (20 Nov 2008)

Popped into Marks & Spencers today as they're doing 20% off all clothes, wine, champagne (and some other stuff that I've no interest in) for one day. It was packed. Busier than a weekend. Queues at tills. Car park full.

Which I found curious, given that M&S aren't that cheap to begin with. You could buy the equivalent of most of the sale items for less than even the discounted price elsewhere. 

So what does this tell us? (Not a rhetorical question - I'm genuinely interested to hear opinions.) 

That people still have plenty of money to spend but want to believe they're getting bargains?


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## Celtwytch (20 Nov 2008)

It tells us that people like M&S goods, and would have bought them at some stage.  The 20% discount today helps ease the cost a little.

Whatever you might think of their other stuff, you can't go too far wrong with their "Dine for €12.50" offer - I got almost €26 worth of food for €12.50 - and that was with orange juice instead of wine!


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## ubiquitous (20 Nov 2008)

LDFerguson said:


> So what does this tell us?  (Not a rhetorical question.)
> 
> That people still have plenty of money to spend but want to believe they're getting bargains?



Its the same phenomenon as the one that motivates people to drive to Newry to buy crates and crates of bad beer brands like Fosters just because they're on special offer.


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## LennyBriscoe (20 Nov 2008)

ubiquitous said:


> Its the same phenomenon as the one that motivates people to drive to Newry to buy crates and crates of bad beer brands like Fosters just because they're on special offer.


 
I dont think people are travelling in there thousands to Newry just for the bad beer!


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## ubiquitous (20 Nov 2008)

LennyBriscoe said:


> I dont think people are travelling in there thousands to Newry just for the bad beer!



Well, judging by the contents of some of the trollies...


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## MandaC (20 Nov 2008)

Marks and Spencer are expensive enough  to begin with.  The quality of their goods is very good though.

I forgot about that sale or I would have went.  Probably just as well, would have bought a load of stuff I dont really need.


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## hansov (20 Nov 2008)

MandaC: You might not be too late. Passed M&S in Grafton St about 30 mins ago and it was still open. I heard that some stores were open 'til 12!!


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## SlurrySlump (21 Nov 2008)

I visited M & S in Dundrum shopping centre this week specifically to get a birthday present for one of our adult children. I couldn't believe how expensive even the basic items were in their clothing department.  Left without purchasing anything and annoyed that I had to pay €2 per hour to park the car.  Then down to the 25% off sale in Debenhams in Frascati Shopping Centre and another €1 to park the car. I thought that M & S were expensive but nothing compared to the cost in Debenhams and this was with a 25% discount. 
Having been abroad a number of times this year I can compare prices with a number of European countries and we are really paying over the odds for our products here. So here's to the €1 Ryanair flights and thumbs down to the €2 car parking in Dundrum Shopping Centre.


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## gillarosa (21 Nov 2008)

Considering its November there are an extraordinary number of sales and discounting with various retailers at the moment, Arnotts this weekend too I believe. I even got a text from a Hair Salon offering 20% off services today.....oh to have cashflow so I could avail of it all lol


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## thebop (21 Nov 2008)

gillarosa said:


> Considering its November there are an extraordinary number of sales and discounting with various retailers at the moment, Arnotts this weekend too I believe. I even got a text from a Hair Salon offering 20% off services today.....*oh to have cashflow so I could avail of it all lol*


 
Nail on the head!!


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## ophelia (22 Nov 2008)

Just to clarify, In Dundrum you only pay E2 for the first hour, you then get two hours free, so it is really E2 for three hours. I was in M&S there yesterday and there was a fairly significant power cut. Only half the lights were on and the escalators and lifts were out of order, it made for a very dull shop indeed, lucky it didn't happen on their sale day (which I misssed)


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## jonny330 (22 Nov 2008)

I think the lack of lights was down to the earlier fire evacuation in the centre. Not the fault of M&S. 

I have to laught at the people who moan about the prices even after the 20% discount - everybody knows that M&S is expensive, if you can't afford it then don't go into their stores! Penneys is on the level above M&S in Dumdrum, that might suit you better.


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## rmelly (22 Nov 2008)

gillarosa said:


> Considering its November there are an extraordinary number of sales and discounting with various retailers at the moment, Arnotts this weekend too I believe. I even got a text from a Hair Salon offering 20% off services today.....oh to have cashflow so I could avail of it all lol


 
any details on how extensive the Arnotts sale is?


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## europhile (22 Nov 2008)

Their fruit is wildly expensive but the quality if fantastic so at least you don't end up throwing half of it out.


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## Complainer (22 Nov 2008)

LDFerguson said:


> Which I found curious, given that M&S aren't that cheap to begin with.


Her indoors would tell you that this is a bit of a generalisation. M&S milk (Irish sourced) seems to generally be the cheapest available.


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## bond-007 (22 Nov 2008)

Cheaper than Lidl milk?


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## SlurrySlump (23 Nov 2008)

It always amazes me how some people will purchase ready chopped carrots from M & S for a couple of Euro + rather than buy a bag of loose carrots for a fraction of the price and do the job themselves. Oh! my nails.....


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## Smashbox (23 Nov 2008)

SlurrySlump said:


> It always amazes me how some people will purchase ready chopped carrots from M & S for a couple of Euro + rather than buy a bag of loose carrots for a fraction of the price and do the job themselves. Oh! my nails.....


 
Some people would rather pay more if they dont have the time to chop and peel. I seen in M&S they were selling ready chopped bags of veg ready to pop in the microwave to 'steam cook' rather than waiting on boiling too. Very, very handy - and they were on 2 for €1.50 the other day.


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