Is Marks & Spencer in line for a troubled Christmas?
News of Marks & Spencer's 20% off day has caught the market by surprise coming so far ahead of the vital Christmas period. This has caused concern with many analysts suggesting that trading could be worse than expected with such sharp reductions available so far away from the Christmas period. If shoppers are receiving 20% discounts today, what will expect tomorrow, and what will they expect next week?
For a company such as Marks & Spencer to have read the market so wrong and stocked up on goods and items which are either unaffordable to the consumer of today, or just the wrong type of product, is something which is concerning many followers of the sector. There is also a worry that if Marks & Spencer is struggling so badly what are they smaller less well financed companies feeling at the moment?
With no apparent end in sight to the recent downturn there are serious concerns that moving into 2009 we will see more retailers come under serious financial pressure. Yesterday we heard that the Woolworths retail chain was up for grabs at just one pound and there are suspicions that other retailers are starting to feel serious financial pressure.
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