Better future in store for M&S?

But, is the £890,000 spent on fixtures and fittings at the Deansgate branch enough to turn around the declining fortunes of an ailing British institution locally?

For the last couple of years, M & S have been weighed down by the "struggling high street retailer" tag.

Profits plunged, share prices slid -- but they are now fighting fit and look forward to a brighter future, according to regional manager Sarah Worrall.

Bolton, she pointed out, is one of the chain's regional centres in the first "roll out wave" of renewal, after trials started last year.

The money has been spent on what could be described as "cosmetic" expenditure.

There are new walkways, carpets, changing rooms, signposts, displays -- making it all look very modern and bright. The cost of the new lighting alone is more than £50,000.

Designed

There are some new areas, too -- a womenswear section designed to look like a boutique, a beauty shop, a downstairs' information point and soon, an in-store bakery.

Over the past seven weeks, staff have worked hard -- before and after opening hours -- to complete this transformation.

"They are the same products, but we are selling them so much better," said Sarah.

She agreed competition in the market place had affected the chain, and that they were slow at updating their image.

But she was quick to point out that thoughts were now turning to the future.

"We have forgotten about the past and we have drawn a line in the sand. We have always been, and hopefully will always be, the number one retailer."

Her mantra: "Keep making it better, keep making it better, keep making it better."

Sarah explained: "Over the last two to three years people's view has changed of Marks and Spencer. We have had to listen to customers -- and they have told us we need to be lighter and brighter. So, we have given ourselves a brand new look."

Nationwide, the new look is complemented by a pre-Christmas TV advertising campaign, a gift catalogue and extended opening hours. It all seems to be part of a determined effort to cement the small gains made, with a reported rise in quarterly sales for the first time in three years.

Shares have also started to see improvements.

Rob Arkwright, stockbroker at Hargreave Hale Limited on Wood Street in Bolton, said: "Long term shareholders, who have seen their shares fall from highs of around £6 back in 1997 to a low of £1.70p this time last year, may be surprised to learn that Marks & Spencer has actually been the best performing blue chip stock this year.

"They have recently climbed back above £3, so have recovered well but are still well off their previous highs."

Background

Against this background, both Sarah and Chris Horsefield, renewal manager in Bolton, are keen to stress the "loyalty" of staff and the 7,500 customers who come in the store on an average day.

"We perform well," she said about the store.

Womenswear is one of their best departments, she insisted, with leather coats being in the top 10 of best-selling items.

Although a lot of energy seems to have gone into developing this area -- it is hoped the much-hyped George Davies' Per Una women's range will hit the Bolton store before Christmas -- Sarah said traditional customers had not been forgotten.

But not everyone in the store agreed.

Mary Hamer, aged 77, seemed to be one of the older customers left behind in the renewal wave.

"I don't think much of the women's department," she said.

"Recently, they seem to have gone down. People say they catered for old people and not younger people.

"Now they seem to cater for younger people and there's nothing for older people."

But she and her 81-year-old husband Dereck do visit the store from Egerton twice a week, and have been shopping there for 40 years. Food and menswear are their biggest attractions.

The new-look store seemed to be a bigger hit with sisters Jill Clark from Lostock and Alison Alcock from Edgworth. They both visit most weeks.

Jill -- a 34-year-old insurance claims manager, who buys work suits at M & S but prefers other clothes from boutiques on King Street, Manchester -- said she had not been aware of the trouble the chain had been in.

Alison, a 36-year-old criminology student, said: "I know the profits have been down. To be honest, five years ago, I used to buy a quite a few things here. But I thought it went a little bit old-fashioned.

"Now it's a bit more up-to-date. I'm waiting for that new range to come out -- I think that would appeal to me."

It may be telling that the range on which so many hopes seem to be pinned -- the Per Una selection -- has been given an Italian name (it means "for one").

Once upon a time, British brands were sought after -- these days they tend to lag behind.

Now, there is an international range of goods available to a more sophisticated shopper -- and image and identity are vital to a brand.

Whether the new-look Marks and Spencer is able to tap into these modern concepts, only such an old-fashioned idea as ringing tills will tell.