Shrewsbury store launches new M&S fashion range
M&S in Shrewsbury has helped launch a new range in the department store giant's fashion department.
The store in the town's bustling Darwin Centre was one of only ten stores from over 700 in the UK chosen to premiere the Immaculate Collection, a new part of M&S’s Classic Collection.
The launch of the new range has been a major success, according to M&S Shrewsbury General Merchandise Manager Emma Cassidy who has collected customer feedback and tracked sales of the new range.
The store played host to a private champagne reception for over 70 trusted customers at the Shrewsbury store and she said: "It was a great success and mirrored the success of the new range since it came out here in Shrewsbury a month ago.
"It's been a big vote of confidence in the store by M&S and in return we've seen fantastic sales and our contribution has meant that M&S will be going ahead with the nationwide launch of the brand in the spring.
"So far it's been a trial collection and because in Shrewsbury we have a strong Classic Collection following we were chosen to be part of the tryout for the new range.
"Usually these are held at the big stores like Marble Arch and the other big cities so it was a major coup to have this range here in Shrewsbury."
M&S's Classics are aimed at women over 65 and Emma explained: "These are modern classics, classic pieces with clean lines with a nod to fashion but they're still tailoured to the needs of the classic customer.
"They are not frumpy, far from it. These are stylish women who want to look good and are fashion conscious.
"A number of our staff have been trial wearing them and that's been very successful so what we've been doing is shaping the way the brand is being driven for the spring.
"We have been lucky enough to have stocked the Autumn Winter range, the collection has included stylish stand alone pieces that could also be worn back with co-ordinating items from the range in complimentary prints.
"And there is a clear colour story throughout the collection so that the pieces can be mixed and matched creating a capsule wardrobe.
"It's been very popular since it appeared in store and the feedback is that it's been a massive success and it's certainly what our ladies want."
The success of the customer reception has also been taken on board and is something M&S Shrewsbury plan to develop, according to Emma.
She said: "We're a store that values our customers and we listen very carefully to them and even adjust our layout to suit them.
"We want to make shopping here as convenient and pleasurable as possible and we're actually trying to build our own focus group to get feedback locally on our products and ranges.
"If people are keen to be in a focus group here and nationally then we're happy to take their names and contact details here in store."
