End of an Era: Marks & Spencer Closing Down Across Thailand

[falangUK]

Just walked into Marks & Spencer in Chiang Mai today (12 June) and got a proper shock. Half the shop is empty, and all the sweets from the food hall have been moved into the clothing section. When I asked what was going on, staff said they’re closing at the end of the month 😞.

 

The franchise is ending and no one’s taken it over. From what I understand, they’re shutting down all M&S stores in Thailand, not just Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Honestly gutted. M&S was one of those rare places that felt a bit like home. Good quality, decent food, familiar stuff when you needed it most. We always used to shop there, and just knowing it was around gave a bit of comfort.

 

They used to sell M&S sweets like biscuits and chocolates at TOPS and another place I can’t remember now, so hopefully those products will still be around. Fingers crossed this doesn’t mean Marks & Spencer is disappearing entirely from the country.

Still, feels like the end of an era.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

They have a large shop at CentralWorld mall in BKK... I saw it open there lately... but haven't seen what's going on there, if anything, this week, as per your post.

 

 

[falangUK]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

They have a large shop at CentralWorld mall in BKK... I saw it open there lately... but haven't seen what's going on there, if anything, this week, as per your post.

 

 

Yes, that’s the one. I used to shop there regularly whenever I was in Bangkok. Haven’t been to the CentralWorld branch in a couple of months though, so not sure what the current state is.

 

But according to the staff I spoke to in Chiang Mai, they’re shutting down across the whole country. From what I understood, they’re still hoping someone might take over the franchise. Would be great if someone stepped in and kept it going.

[Cameroni]

1 hour ago, falangUK said:

Just walked into Marks & Spencer in Chiang Mai today (12 June) and got a proper shock. Half the shop is empty, and all the sweets from the food hall have been moved into the clothing section. When I asked what was going on, staff said they’re closing at the end of the month 😞.

 

The franchise is ending and no one’s taken it over. From what I understand, they’re shutting down all M&S stores in Thailand, not just Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Honestly gutted. M&S was one of those rare places that felt a bit like home. Good quality, decent food, familiar stuff when you needed it most. We always used to shop there, and just knowing it was around gave a bit of comfort.

 

They used to sell M&S sweets like biscuits and chocolates at TOPS and another place I can’t remember now, so hopefully those products will still be around. Fingers crossed this doesn’t mean Marks & Spencer is disappearing entirely from the country.

Still, feels like the end of an era.

 

Well maybe they should have sold their products at decent prices and not the over exaggerated  cost they decided to offer their products for. You would have had to be mad to buy anything at M&S given the prices they were asking. No wonder nobody wants them.

[johng]

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

. You would have had to be mad to buy anything at M&S given the prices they were asking. No wonder nobody wants them.

Agreed but perhaps the taxes impossed by Thailand had a small part to play?

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, johng said:

Agreed but perhaps the taxes impossed by Thailand had a small part to play?

All retailers in Thailand who sell imported products have exactly the same import duties to contend with.

[Cameroni]

10 minutes ago, johng said:

Agreed but perhaps the taxes impossed by Thailand had a small part to play?

 

I'm not sure, I think transport costs okay, but why does a packet of Club or Penguin biscuits cost 89 Baht, and a packet of MS biscuists cost 250? 

 

I don't know.

[Celsius]

I loved their Jaffa cakes and they would often be on sale at 50% off.

 

I got a few decent pair of jeans for under 1000b. 

 

Theyir stuff was actually cheaper than regular central department store.

 

 

[Nicco]

Hopefully, HM takes a hint. The cheapest, ugliest, heaviest clothes using the worst fabrics. Swear it's all made from Indian rag pickings. I don't even bother looking anymore

[johng]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

All retailers in Thailand who sell imported products have exactly the same import duties to contend with.

Exactly hence we see the Hi-so brand names shops that defy  economics... middle shops like M&S 

Tesco,Carefour Family Mart going to the wall...and the approved 7/11 replicate exponentially.

[Cameroni]

A printed MS shirt, 2100 Baht.

 

https://www.central.co.th/th/marksspenceronline-men-shirt-printed-grcds53724090238

 

On Lazada, printed shirt is 210 Baht.

 

Lol.

[Liverpool Lou]

39 minutes ago, johng said:

54 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

All retailers in Thailand who sell imported products have exactly the same import duties to contend with.

Exactly hence we see the Hi-so brand names shops that defy  economics... middle shops like M&S 

Tesco,Carefour Family Mart going to the wall...and the approved 7/11 replicate exponentially.

Cobblers.   Lotus's (Tesco), Big C (Carefour), Family Mart are not going to the wall

[Liverpool Lou]

27 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

A printed MS shirt, 2100 Baht.

 

https://www.central.co.th/th/marksspenceronline-men-shirt-printed-grcds53724090238

 

On Lazada, printed shirt is 210 Baht.

Same shirt or different, cheaper shirt?

[Cameroni]

2 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Same shirt or different, cheaper shirt?

 

It's a SHIRT. What do you think the thread is made from gold?

[inf]

Wow!!??

Just last Sunday, on my last full day in Thailand for the time being, I stepped into the Marks & Spencer at Central Pattaya and bought a shirt, ginger and other biscuits, and a mini Christmas house for my wife.

She will be sad to hear that, because she was also often interested in their Christmas puddings.

 

We live in Taiwan, where M&S opened stores twice that went bust within a year.

[Seagull Sam]

Good riddance to another small prop to the misery of Zionism.

[Patong2021]

M&S products are still available https://www.central.co.th/en/marks-and-spencer      for now.................

 

My understanding is that Central owns the Thailand franchise. The pricing of products would be in large part a reflection of the franchise holder, Central. Anger should be directed at Central and not M&S. This reminds me of the  disappearance of Family Mart. In 2023, Central ended its franchise agreement with Family Mart and converted the stores to its own Tops brand.

 

M&S had the foods of my childhood, or at least reminders. Unfortunately, aside from Digestives now on sale for 84 baht, the food selection in Thailand was rather grim. I remember going into the London food hall with my mum, as a child, and being delighted by the variety and assortment of options. It was like visiting the world all in one place. Pity, that  Thailand was never allowed to experience such a fantastic and delicious  offer. The food courts at my local malls with their KFC and Thai slop are no match.The world moves forward and changes, but  sometimes it isn't for the best.  RIP  Marks & Spencer Thailand Ltd.

 

[Patong2021]

1 hour ago, Seagull Sam said:

Good riddance to another small prop to the misery of Zionism.

 

A vile and disgusting false claim. There is no association of the company with Zionism. It is a malicious claim that attempts to incite and to promote hate. 

 

The largest shareholders are shown below.  None of the investors is a prop of Zionism. On the contrary, a closer look will find some Arab investment.  For example, The Al-Futtaim Group is an Emirati conglomerate based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it owns the franchise in Hong Kong in Hong Kong and Macau.  Al-Futtaim operates 72+ Marks & Spencer stores across 11 markets in Asia and the Middle East, with its flagship store in Dubai. 

 

Marks and Spencer is a public  corporation.

There is no single controlling shareholder. The company is not owned by one individual or entity.

Institutional shareholders own 79% of the company, of which financial institutions dominate.

The  balance of shares  are public and private ownership. 

There is no Israeli ownership.

 

Name	Equities	%	Valuation
RWC Asset Management LLP	101,424,531	4.937 %	512 M p
Schroder Investment Management Ltd.	97,791,409	4.76 %	494 M p
The Vanguard Group, Inc.	75,728,000	3.686 %	382 M p
Threadneedle Asset Management Ltd.	60,086,115	2.925 %	303 M p
Norges Bank Investment Management	47,202,000	2.298 %	238 M p
BlackRock Fund Advisors	46,732,524	2.275 %	236 M p
Capital Research & Management Co. (World Investors)	43,378,000	2.111 %	219 M p
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP	40,953,791	1.993 %	207 M p
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Ltd.	38,201,114	1.859 %	193 M p
BlackRock Advisors (UK) Ltd.	32,403,000	1.577 %	164 M p

 

Do you spew hate for fun or is it  your raison d'etre? 

 

[Celsius]

1 hour ago, Cameroni said:

 

It's a SHIRT. What do you think the thread is made from gold?

 

You don't know how to shop. You shop the same way you do with women. Online.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Cameroni said:

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Same shirt or different, cheaper shirt?

 

It's a SHIRT. What do you think the thread is made from gold?

It's cheap as sh!t, what do you think that it is made from, the same quality fabric as the M&S shirt?

[Lucky Bones]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

M&S products are still available https://www.central.co.th/en/marks-and-spencer      for now.................

 

My understanding is that Central owns the Thailand franchise. The pricing of products would be in large part a reflection of the franchise holder, Central. Anger should be directed at Central and not M&S. This reminds me of the  disappearance of Family Mart. In 2023, Central ended its franchise agreement with Family Mart and converted the stores to its own Tops brand.

 

M&S had the foods of my childhood, or at least reminders. Unfortunately, aside from Digestives now on sale for 84 baht, the food selection in Thailand was rather grim. I remember going into the London food hall with my mum, as a child, and being delighted by the variety and assortment of options. It was like visiting the world all in one place. Pity, that  Thailand was never allowed to experience such a fantastic and delicious  offer. The food courts at my local malls with their KFC and Thai slop are no match.The world moves forward and changes, but  sometimes it isn't for the best.  RIP  Marks & Spencer Thailand Ltd.

 

Thai slop? Really?

Sounds like you have indeed eaten too much KFC or Macca burgers.🙃🙃

 

[Cameroni]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's cheap as sh!t, what do you think that it is made from, the same quality fabric as the M&S shirt?

 

Of course. Cotton!

 

It's not rocket science! There's no fuel injection built into that shirt!

[Patong2021]

2 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

It's a SHIRT. What do you think the thread is made from gold?

 

You obviously do not understand that there are quality differences. There are different types of fabrics, weaves, and  thread types. The thin synthetic fabric shirts that sag and shine are different from the crisp cotton that harmonizes with body form. The  cheap synthetic fiber clothes trap odor and  are uncomfortable in the tropical climate, whereas the natural  fabric shirts  are comfortable and clean.  M&S shirts last.  Very few  big box brands  can offer similar quality. John Lewis was one of the few. A gentleman understands the importants of sartorial workmanship. I suppose it does not matter if one only wears a brown shirt

[zz4096]

46 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

Thai slop? Really?

Sounds like you have indeed eaten too much KFC or Macca burgers.🙃🙃

 

 

Thai food really ain't that good fella. It's nice enough if they don't poison it with chili but it's not the haute cuisine that many like to make it out to be. I guess you're still CS by the place.

 

As for your KFC / Maccas comment, will that's just gibberish.

[Lucky Bones]

2 minutes ago, zz4096 said:

 

Thai food really ain't that good fella. It's nice enough if they don't poison it with chili but it's not the haute cuisine that many like to make it out to be. I guess you're still CS by the place.

 

As for your KFC / Maccas comment, will that's just gibberish.

Ha-Ha. I Have no idea what you mean by "I guess you're still CS by the place". Please inform. Maybe you don't have a good Thai wife that cooks great Thai food year after year. Each to their own. Cheers🙃🙃

[connda]

What's a Marks & Spencer?  

[champers]

I was dissappointed with the quality of their underpants; inferior to those in the UK.

As previously mentioned, their Jaffa Cakes were addictive and will be sorely missed by me.

[zz4096]

2 hours ago, Lucky Bones said:

Ha-Ha. I Have no idea what you mean by "I guess you're still CS by the place". Please inform. Maybe you don't have a good Thai wife that cooks great Thai food year after year. Each to their own. Cheers🙃🙃

 

It means c--t struck. Thankfully I'm not married but if I did have a Thai wife and all she cooked me was Thai food then she wouldn't be my wife for very long. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, Celsius said:

I loved their Jaffa cakes and they would often be on sale at 50% off.

 

WOW!  I was shopping for a gift some months back, and ended up buying a package of those that I in the end kept for myself.  Soft cookie-like confection with orange flavoring and chocolate coating...  So good!!!!

 

And ya, I think part of the reason I bought those was, at the time of my visit and shopping, they were indeed priced at about 50% off the list price! 

 

I would have gone back to buy more after tasting the first batch at home... except.... they were gonna send my blood sugar levels soaring!!!   🙂

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

48 minutes ago, champers said:

 

As previously mentioned, their Jaffa Cakes were addictive and will be sorely missed by me.

 

Ha!  Another jaffa cakes fan!  And here I thought I was the only one!

 

As an American, I had never even heard the term "jaffa cake" until I wandered into M&S CentralWorld that day some months back.....