http://thumbb.image.altavista.com/image/397491709http://thumbb.image.altavista.com/image/454522793http://thumbb.image.altavista.com/image/292893333http://thumbb.image.altavista.com/image/239624368

Marks & Spencer is finally opening its doors today in Markaz Al Bahja along with Toys r Us!

My questions:

1) After visiting this store, what was your first impression?

2) What do you think of the quality and variety of the products?

3) Are the prices reasonable for Muscat?

4) In term of business, is Marks & Spencer well located?

5) Why do you think Marks & Spencer will or will not be successful in Oman?

1) After visiting this store, what was your first impression?

2) What do you think of the quality and variety of the products?

3) Are the prices reasonable for Muscat?

I havent been to it yet, so I am not sure about those .. will come back later

4) In term of business, is Marks & Spencer well located?

I beleive yes, plus M&S is a well established brand .. wherever it is located people will go to it because they want to buy from it. However, its location is not bad and it will be a good boost to Al-Bahja.

5) Why do you think Marks & Spencer will or will not be successful in Oman?
It depends. One problem about M&S its reputation of being pro-israel company. Many people are boycotting M&S.
I dont know how strong is that in Oman, but I am sure when any Israeli -American political issue araises, M&S will have less sales!

Wow , I had no idea i'll check it out and i'll tell you what i think about it X

I had no idea about it!
Although I live here in Al Hail.. I just didn't know! Thanks!

Well, I'll answer your questions when I visit it :p
Will you hold you breath till then :p?

Do they sell Omani "dishdasha, mu9ar and wzar"? If yes I might go to check.

Originally posted by IceTea
Do they sell Omani "dishdasha, mu9ar and wzar"? If yes I might go to check.

:D Funny! I like your sense of sarcasm!
But I never know, you may be serious.. If you're, then NO!

What about their products, the prices, and the customer service? Are they good?

no offence but i've noticed that some shops bring the excess inventory from dubai to oman...so its mostly the crappy stuff... dont expect too much.


Plus many people wont shop there cause they think its israeli.

I give it a year before it closes down

Qais, I dont think a well known brand like M&S would risk its reputation and bring the excess things from Dubai. Maybe they bring the inventory from Dubai and thats normal because its the same shop after all!! :rolleyes:

I dont think it will close up .. many people in Muscat buy from M&S
if that was the case, city center would have closed long time back!

Originally posted by qais


I give it a year before it closes down

We won't up being nacked if it's closed. Who cares.

Originally posted by IceTea
We won't up being nacked if it's closed. Who cares.
thats because u wear wizar and dishdasha

Originally posted by qais
thats because u wear wizar and dishdasha

But women don't.

Well, I couldn't wait and went to see our new Marks & Spencer over the week-end....but to my big deception, I left more disappointed then anything else and I will tell you why by answering the questions below...

1) After visiting this store, what was your first impression?

My first impression was of disappointment as if one knows the Marks and Spencer of London, there is absolutely no comparaison!!!

The branch in Muscat is extremely small for a M&S and reminds me more of Bhs or JC Penney then anything else.

http://www.marksandspencer.com/images/static/billboards/chic/chic_homepage_1_030904.jpg

2) What do you think of the quality and variety of the products?

My second impression while entering was that the overall feeling of the products was too conservative for my taste. Though the products are of a good quality (exactly like Bhs), there is not the wide variety which you can find in any normal UK Marks & Spencer.

The first thaught which came in my mind was that the people behind M&S in Muscat didn't study the market at all before opening the store. What they offer is very conservative and can cater mainly the european women. The majority of young Omani girls don't wear these type of clothes as they like to follow the up-to-date fashion. As for the older generation of Omani women, again, that is not really their taste.

What surprised me also was the fact that there were many sweaters and big winter shawls as if we were living in a cold country. Hello this is a 40 degree country, not england!

Marks & Spencer is very well known, especially among the arab girls, for their beautiful lingerie. In the Muscat store, that section is extremely limited again and doesn't reflect at all the variety found abroad :(

Marks & Spencer is also very well known, for their wanderful ready-made foods (or TV dinners). This section is inexistant in the store in Oman and I just felt like...:weep: !!!!

How could they do this??

The only small section which I liked very much was the perfums and cosmetics one. They have some lovely perfums and creams there.

http://www.marksandspencer.com/images/static/billboards/gifts/gifts_t2_030808.jpg

3) Are the prices reasonable for Muscat?

For the Omani market, I found in general the prices too expensive! Someone can't buy a simple skirt or blouse for less than 20-25 rials, a jacket is about 35 rials, or a plain bra is not less than 13 to 20 rials :eyes: !

I only found their cooking books and their perfums very reasonable to my surprise, as they all have a beautiful smell. They range aroung 3 to 10 rials, as well as their body lotions and cosmetics...not a big variety though!

4) In term of business, is Marks & Spencer well located?

Choosing Makaz Al Bahja was a good idea. However, even if Marks & Spencer was big and was offering a wide range of products, what worries me for them is the location on the complete top floor of the mall. I find that they are isolated and any customers have to make the effort to go there, rather than to stop because it is in front of them.

They would have been better off being on the middle ground where everyone passes by.

5) Why do you think Marks & Spencer will or will not be successful in Oman?

If they keep the current conservative clothes and keep their prices as it is now, I don't think that Marks & Spencer will last as long as JC Penny (which is closed now).

To be successful, they need to bring more fashionable products and lower their prices. They need to constantly bring new clothes, shoes, cosmetics etc...as costumers here get bored very easily with the same products in front of them, this is why City Plaza is so successful in this area!

I am a big shopper and I love to see what is new, but I doubt I will go back anytime soon to the Muscat M&S, unless I want more perfums :rolleyes:

Waiting for your comments now...:color:

Been there today with Her XLNC!

1) After visiting this store, what was your first impression?
I was just fine, not that I was amazed by the stuff.

2) What do you think of the quality and variety of the products?
They're just like the ones in Dubai.. I can't really compare since I've only been to the one in Dubai. But, I suppose it's good!

3) Are the prices reasonable for Muscat?
It differs from one thing to another. But, I compared it to the prices in Dubai and ofcourse it was more expensive here. I remember buying a hand bag last summer from Marks & Spencer for R.O 15.000 and here in Oman they sell it for R.O 20.000

4) In term of business, is Marks & Spencer well located?
Yes, it's. Markaz Al Bahja is getting reconginzed and everyone's just all over it!

5) Why do you think Marks & Spencer will or will not be successful in Oman?
Ummmmmm, I'm not sure, can't answer that one, sorry!

I have been to M&S this weekend ...

I liked the place actually and the choices compared to muscat market is quite reasonable ..

However, the prices are high!!
you can find simmiler stuff in BHS at a lower price!

I guess they are targeting a certain segment of the society (this is why it was placed in Al-Bahja)

I haven't been there yet!

everyone seem so anxious to visit this shop and they all fail to mention about its zionist connections

From is birth M&S has been linked inextricably to Zionism. In fact in a book on M&S, Lord Marcus Sieff - long time Chairman of M&S - wrote that one of the fundamental objectives of M&S is to aid the economic development of Israel (Management: The Marks & Spencer Way, Weidenfield & Nicolson, 1990).

M&S supports Israel with approximately $233 million in trade every year (Jerusalem Report, 5 June 2000) .

The JTA reported that "The Israeli ambassador to England recently honored Marks & Spencer for the company's continued support of Israel." (JTA, 13 December 2000).

In 1998 Sir Richard Greenbury Marks & Spencer, received the Jubilee Award by the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is the highest tribute ever awarded by the "State of Israel" in recognition of those individuals and organizations, that through their investments and trade relationships, have done the most to strengthen the Israeli economy.


Source:
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-marks-and-spencer.html

still everyone intrested to go?



:lost:

I guess to some of the ladies here the comfort and support of a well made bra outweighs the evil of zionism.