Marks and Spencers: a fashion no-no?

Poor Marks and Spencers. This week has seen M&S's low fashion sales in every newspaper worth mentioning. This has led many to comment on how best to boost the flagging department store, with criticisms directed towards the disparate collections - with Limited Collection not trendy and fashion-forward enough to attract the younger fashionistas; with Autograph's sophisticated pieces rather overpriced; with Per Una - well, just a ruffly, frumpy mess - a campaign with Twiggy and Myleene Klass is simply not going to cut it anymore.

The news that Kate Bostock has left as head of general merchanidse to the ever-growing online retailer, ASOS, has led many to speculate on the future of M&S. John Dixon, head of M&S' food business, is all set to replace her. While Dixon did wonders for M&S' food sales, with their evocative (bordering on pornographic) food adverts and Dine for £10 offers, M&S hopes Dixon can wave his magic wand and make M&S fashion flourish again. However, success in the food sector does not automatically translate to success in the fashion sector and one should avoid being complacent. Dixon has a tough job ahead of him. He needs to strengthen the individual collections M&S offers whilst maintaining a M&S thread in each and every one, with a focus on affordable basic and quality pieces. Personally, I think M&S should forgo trying to be "too" trendy - they're never going to compete with brands like 'Topshop' and 'Zara' in attracting the Beautiful Young Things and should focus their attentions on the more mature woman who appreciates well-cut, classic and affordable clothing. Clarifying the target market is vital and they would benefit from being specific, rather than attempting to cast their nets too far upstream.

I hope M&S take heed of the concerns flying around at the moment as it would be a shame to lose a company that has become so synonymous with the British way of life.