Marks & Spencer

So, I’m old before my time because I’m an M&S regular. Not for clothes as such but I do enjoy the pjs (and other things around that section) and I find myself in their food hall far too often! However I don’t like this particular one at all. The layout just doesn’t make sense in my brain. I’ve been in loads and I still get a little lost sometimes — its just bizarre! In any other M&S have you ever been in an upstairs food hall with the kids section kind of incorporated into it? It’s meant to be seperate but I’m pretty sure the kids socks are chilling next to the milk. Despite this I’m still here a lot as it’s the closest one to me, I’m partial to a M&S dinner when I’m feeling lazy and they taste the same whichever one they’re from I suppose!

This isn’t an M&S that I get along to much, mostly because of it’s location on Sauchiehall Street and there’s a bigger one at Silverburn closer to home for me. However, we needed some travel money (did I mention we’re going to Turkey?!) and they offer better travel rates than the Post Office, so here we headed.
I’m pretty sure this store has had a wee spruce since I last visit (years ago) but compared to pretty much every other M&S store, this one is pretty dire. It just looks old and worn out and doesn’t seem to have that great of a range.
Getting travel money was quick and easy though — took maybe 5 minutes all up and I just needed to show some ID (passport or drivers licence). Your travel money is nicely presented in a wee wallet for taking away, and the money counted out before you.
Would I head back here for a wander/​browse? No, probably not — there are lot more nice M&S stores to visit rather than this one. So head elsewhere (even the one on Argyle St is better)!

Who would have thought thought that you can get a good coffee from here but you can just as good as Starbucks, I recommend trying the iced lemon muffin delish. Staff are allways cheery and helpfull here.

It’s not just any Marks and Spencers it’s… actually, aye it is. The smaller of the town’s branches but still a decent size. I was up doing some Christmas shopping at that end of town while waiting for my car in the garage.
I wanted to get my mum something nice for her Christmas and I found I was in cruising the old ladies shops that Monday morning, she’s not an old lady btw she’s just a classy lady.
I felt a bit like in an episode of Father Ted, trapped but I know my way round the lingerie department. I found myself surrounded by old men and ladies, mostly old ladies with a few men hanging about waiting, more old ladies and nuns. After dodging my way through the older generation and nuns I managed to get my mum a cosy dressing gown as she was really desperately needing a new one, I swear she was still wearing one she got in the 70s.
I also had a wee gander round the lingerie department of course and found some lovely bra and pants sets, as the department does have a good range of sizes which I require. I did restrain myself and stuck to the Christmas shopping list. I did go back during the sales and picked up myself the set I had seen but at a much cheaper price. Cha-​ching!
I still feel M&S is still for the older generation but they do try and attract us younger ones with their fancy ads. Hmm?! It’s not a shop I would go out the way for something for me but sometimes I would use it for their Foodhall for a special occassion or treat. It’s probably just as well they have the Foodhall, we’ll just need to wait and see what the M&S brand will come up for 2013.

Good ol’ M&S. Not the best though.

Went here for some pre-​packaged salad goodness and some potatoes yesterday and actually got lost going to the toilets.
The toilets were surprisingly nasty for M & S, on a side note.
I don’t know why but I still think it’s weird you can put down a nice top and turn around to pick up some oranges or something. but that’s what you can accomplish in here.
The clothes are lovely, but quite pricy and on the surface appear to be made for older people, older people than me that is.
The food is thoroughly good, with the chicken in here being epic beyond epic. I don’t like that you can’t pick up other brand names in Marks and Spencers though.
Too dear for a ‘big shop’ and too all over the place to pick up bits and bobs, as far as food shopping goes.
That being said, I keep going back for that chicken.

This isn’t the biggest or best Marks and Spencer’s in Glasgow (trust me, I’m quite the Marks and Spencer’s connoisseur) but it’s pretty damn good all the same.
The ground floor is filled with a clothing and shoe section which is perfectly satisfying for even the most haughty of clothes-​hunters. It’s upstairs that things get a little less exciting — the home section, for example, is a little bit diddy. Perhaps I’ve been spoilt for too long by dedicated M&S home stores — but a couple of shelve units filled with towels and bed sheets just doesn’t do it for me anymore.
All the same, I still love this place.

This is a slightly smaller M and S than the one at the other end of twon, and for some reason, I find it less satisfying. It has the same range of food and clothes– which I pass my with a wry smile, remembering childhood trips with parents for «sensible» clothes for winter– although not quite as extensive. For essentials, it seems a bit pricier than I’d like and the food, though elegant, is often more on the appearance than taste. Of course, it is lovely and elegant, but I am not sure it is as high quality as it is often claimed. Again, the queues are a little much during the weekends, leading to me stomping off in frustration at least twice.
This might be more about my attitude to shopping, mind.

Ah good old Marks & Spencer is where I dream to shop when I am a rich old lady, or a rich young lady for that matter. Although it’s a little pricey, the food here is of the most delicious variety and worth every penny. They use the very best ingredients and have a reputation as a shop for posh old ladies, however I’m quite partial to a bit of M&S shopping myself.
This branch has a great selection of M&S food and wine, often offering good deals like ‘Dine in for £10′, which consists of a main course, side dish, dessert and wine for just ten quid. There is also a nice little café and restaurant here too to grab a bite to eat or pop in for a coffee, served with a little chocolate wafer stick, which is a nice little touch.
Another thing M&S is famous for is its undies, from the sturdy and sensible to the lacy and luxurious. I absolutely LOVE their tights which are always super thick and long lasting. Although they’re not the cheapest, I think it’s worth investing in decent tights that will last you much longer than those of the cheaper variety.
The staff here are very friendly and approachable and all seem to have a rather mumsy quality, which further cements the warm and lovely image I have of M&S.

Not as grand as the Argyle Street store but a good one all the same with a good selection in all departments. Worth checking out if you want to avoid the queues of said other M&S.
What I like about M&S at this time of year is that it brings in all age groups whether looking for gifts for mums, dads, aunts, grans, daughters or themselves. And it was during such a trip that I discovered something.
I probably shouldn’t admit it but… I bought my fave pair of jeans here. Being a shortie it can be difficult to find jeans just the right length but there they were. And they were surprisingly trendy and flattering. I’m stocking up.