Star comment: Put sparkle back into iconic M&S
Marks & Spencer is a British institution.
Over the years it has had its ups and downs but it is impossible to imagine the high street without it.
This is particularly true in Wolverhampton where its Dudley Street store is a flurry of activity, especially at lunchtimes.
But you only have to look opposite at the empty shop units once occupied by another icon of the British high street – BHS – to see that the retail market is ruthless.
M&S's recent trading results have been positive but not earth-shattering.
We hope that chief executive Steve Rowe can bring back the sparkle.
He doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, but merely deliver what the customer wants.
For generations of M&S shoppers, the store has been about quality. It must not waver from this commitment.
Cities like Wolverhampton rely on the likes of Marks & Spencer to bring shoppers into town.
No-one wants to see another family favourite go the way of Woolworths.
As the advert famously declared: it is not just any store, it's an M&S store.
