Marks And Spencer Share Discussion Threads

[johnwise] 17/9/2020 08:08

Marks and Spencer launch Christmas range – including light-up gin and gifts

Supermarket Marks and Spencer has launched its festive range this week, with over 70 new products in store and its Food to Order service is incoming

[xxxxxy] 17/9/2020 08:00

Growing more at homeBy JOHNREDWOOD | Published: SEPTEMBER 17, 2020One of the big wins from current changes should be more home grown food. There is a big opportunity for farmers as we leave the EU and as people respond to environmental and pandemic concerns.I was therefore heartened to read of the large investment in glasshouse capacity in Norfolk and Suffolk. The combined investment could produce 12% of U.K. demand for tomatoes and sweet peppers. They will be heated by waste heat from a water plant.It makes little sense to truck so many fruits and vegetables hundreds of miles from Spain or to ship them from Holland when we can produce them for ourselves. It was the vagaries of the CAP, subsidy and tariff policy that led to a sharp decline in U.K. market share in our own market.I look forward to other similar announcements.

[r9505571] 16/9/2020 19:40

4th Nov HY results out!

[r9505571] 16/9/2020 19:37

When is next update due from M&S?

[debsdowner] 16/9/2020 17:28

SKY news more lockdowns in Wales:

On Wednesday, local lockdown measures were imposed in the Welsh county of Rhondda Cynon Taf after a spike in the number of cases of the virus.

The new restrictions - which include not allowing people to enter or leave the area "without a reasonable excuse" - will come into effect at 6pm on Thursday, Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething confirmed.

[debsdowner] 16/9/2020 17:23

Breaking news on coronavirus cases in last 24 hours:

Positive infections gone from 3,105 yesterday to rapid increase to 3,991

Patients in hospital 901

Patients on ventilators from 106 yesterday to 115



Positive cases now getting very concerning at near 4,000 cases per day, if they do not come down soon more people will be in hospital, more on ventilators and more deaths.

Chart by SKY news looks awful:

[debsdowner] 16/9/2020 15:36

Porsche

I think you have a good handle on the business, they have had years and years to sort all this out and its like the "dust bowl" people in the US that were always looking forward to the next year which never happened things just got worse.

But maybe they have a chance if they are the last man standing and they will nit go bust this year.

Its a 50/50 shot now that is why I have said from £1 its 20% either way in the short term.

[johnwise] 16/9/2020 13:53

Marks and Spencer's £750m Ocado deal pays off: Sales boost for M&S with shoppers now buying more of their products than Waitrose goods on the online grocer as it reports shares surge

Another 800 food options will be added to its range in the run-up to Christmas, capitalising on M&S's reputation for doing high-quality party treats.

[johnwise] 16/9/2020 13:52

Marks and Spencer's £750m Ocado deal pays off: Sales boost for M&S with shoppers now buying more of their products than Waitrose goods on the online grocer as it reports shares surge

Another 800 food options will be added to its range in the run-up to Christmas, capitalising on M&S's reputation for doing high-quality party treats.

[porsche1945] 16/9/2020 12:12

If M&S were just a food company there wouldnt be a problem, but its a bricks and mortar retailer really, of clothing that has a declining appeal, endless turnarounds and homewares they should probably have never got into, the store estate once worth 12 billion and should have been a sale and leaseback now worthless, probably more of a liability. The Ocado thing is good but cost a fortune and probably also takes business from the bricks and mortar M&S food. I just cant see it, it is a declining business model, running to stand still if they are lucky, no dividend, soso management for a long time, i think it is terminal like most of UK plc, I think it will end up going the same way as Debenhams, will be newsworthy....name will be bought up but this will be a 50p stock, online will continue to wipe out their business. They had a chance a couple of years ago to get ahead, really develop online, dump stores and sale and leaseback on the rest whilst still worth something but they messed it up as usual.

[debsdowner] 16/9/2020 10:44

Inflation figures were out today and show inflation going nowhere. Part the reason the half price meals in August together with clothes sales falling, the latter due to retailers holding off Autumn stock price rises.

[xxxxxy] 16/9/2020 09:55

Snippet from The Grocer...The challenge of gaining new M&S customers also looms large, however. Ocado simply cannot build extra capacity quick enough to serve them. Its million-long waiting list has barely been dented, Tatton-Brown admitted today. Adding extra capacity is "nigh-on impossible" this side of Christmas, and won't happen in any meaningful way before sometime next year.Many lingering on Ocado's waiting list may soon run out of patience – and make the switch to another provider. But straining to onboard customers risks denting its customer service levels, which Ocado Retail CEO Mel Smith has boasted to be the best in the country. Customers are already reporting longer waits for slots and a return to lockdown-like availability.... At least a goodish problem.

[xxxxxy] 16/9/2020 09:50

Wrong assumptions and methodology may have devastated High Street...keith millington16 Sep 2020 9:00AMWhen will these governments get it ...They are listening to professional epidemiologists who are in affect "academics".Great in theory but poor in practice.But lockdown was only ever going to suppress the infection in order to "save the NHS" so it didn't get overwhelmed.This infers that instead of one big wave of infection we would get a very extended period of lower infection which frankly is probably more damaging to the economy and to peoples mental health.It is ,in practice, only when the virus cannot find any previously uninfected hosts that it will die out.This implies that to get it over with we should protect the most vulnerable  eg very old and very ill people  and let those people who are not going to die because of covid to become infected and thus get the fabled herd immunity.Anything else is just social and economic masochism.10LikeReplyAlexander Fisken16 Sep 2020 9:14AMThis has been clear since the beginning, but unfortunately mass hysteria has taken over... Daily Telegraph

[johnwise] 16/9/2020 06:55

VIDEO:

Chinese virologist: China's government 'intentionally' released COVID-19

The Chinese government intentionally manufactured and released the COVID-19 virus that led to mass shutdowns and deaths across the world, a top virologist and whistleblower told Fox News host Tucker Carlson Tuesday.

[debsdowner] 15/9/2020 19:19

Bolton coronavirus cases now over 4 times the national average at circa 200 per 100,000 which places them well over the red zone



Chanel 4 news are saying part of this is down to testing, residents cannot make an appointment.

The whole thing is a shambles and the virus is getting out of control again.

I suspect the "eat to help out" and easing of restrictions is responsible for the pandemic getting out of control.

[xxxxxy] 15/9/2020 17:50

ocado@Ocado9 SepFrom 22nd September, you can give one bagful of your carrier bags to our drivers to be recycled. We'll even take ones that aren't ours! Find out more here:

[xxxxxy] 15/9/2020 17:39

Hint at dividends would not go amiss.

[debsdowner] 15/9/2020 16:21

Breaking news on coronavirus:

Positive infections 3,105

Patients in hospital 972

Patients on ventilators 106

Deaths 27

[philanderer] 15/9/2020 13:51

Ocado suggests customers are flocking to M&S products as it reveals summer sales jumped more than 50%

[sarkasm] 15/9/2020 12:29

BBC


Ocado says M&S switchover 'successful' after rocky start

2 hours ago
45 comments



Online grocer Ocado says its switch to delivering Marks & Spencer food has been "successful" and demand is rising despite a rocky start.

The firm, which previously delivered for Waitrose, had to cancel some orders when its new partnership launched on 1 September, angering customers.

But it said launch day had been its "biggest forward order day to date" amid excitement about the new tie-up.

Average shopper baskets have also grown by about five items since then.

It comes as the firm reported a 50% jump in sales for the third quarter of the year at its Ocado Retail business, in which M&S holds a 50% stake.

Ocado said it had benefited from continued strong demand for online shopping during lockdown, with weekly orders climbing 10% in the 13 weeks to 30 August.


Some customers criticised Ocado when it launched its M&S range, saying orders made weeks earlier had been cancelled at the last minute.

The retailer also halted orders from its staff as it tried to clear an order backlog.

However, on Tuesday, the firm said customers had "responded positively to the switchover", with "demand for the new range driving both an increase in the number of products in customer baskets and strong forward demand".

It added: "The weighting of M&S products in the average Ocado basket is higher than Waitrose prior to the switchover, reflecting positive customer reaction to the addition of M&S to the range."
M&S boost?

Analysts said the results were not only promising for Ocado, but also for M&S. Last year, some warned the retailer might have overpaid for its stake in the partnership at a time when its business was struggling.

Sophie Lund-Yates, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "This could bode well for Marks & Spencer, whose sales could do with a boost, and who staked a lot on this deal paying off.

"98% of customers are already shopping at M&S, though, so it will be interesting to see how many of these sales will have simply transferred from stores."

Ocado, which booked a pre-tax loss of £214.5m in 2019, said it expected strong underlying earnings of £40m this year because of continued demand for its services.

But it added: "Uncertainties remain over the scale, and duration, of the ongoing impact of social distancing restrictions in the UK."

The firm has said the shift to online shopping during the pandemic could mean a "permanent redrawing" of the retail landscape.

In July boss Tim Steiner said that as a result of Covid-19, "we have seen years of growth in the online grocery market condensed into a matter of months and we won't be going back".

[xxxxxy] 15/9/2020 11:37

Bernard Fox15 Sep 2020 11:24AMOverjoyed to be able to get M&S delivered at last. Always preferred over Waitrose .Started by ticking my favourites only to see the bill climbing over £150. Will take more care next week. Had two substitutes, one fairly close but not charged for. The other exact except for ingredients.  Had a call from Ocado asking how I liked the delivery and the substitutions resulting in a credit on my account. The next day. I received an email with more good news.  My branded products were more expensive than Tesco with a voucher for the difference value 1p, yes 1p. I think I might frame it. Looks like I have struck gold.... Daily Telegraph

[debsdowner] 15/9/2020 10:39

Unemployment up but the worst to come



NEW LOOK in trouble



UK grocery market share slowed due to "eat out and help out" and both the market is still changing, its too early to ascertain how MARKS will fare at the moment imo and I don't see MARKS share price rising sharply from here at the moment.

The OCADO deal seems positive for MARKS but its far too early at the moment for forecasts.

[philanderer] 15/9/2020 10:25

'Ocado celebrates success of M&S product launch'

[debsdowner] 15/9/2020 09:45

THE GROCER