Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer (colloquially also known as M & S and Marks and Sparks) is a British chain of Department stores. Shops with products of the company are anno 2013 not found only in the United Kingdom, but also in thirty other countries. Only the affiliates on the British mainland and Hong Kong are run by M & S itself, the shops in other countries are of franchise companies.

Marks & Spencer is the market leader in the United Kingdom in the field of clothing. The assortment also consists mainly of items, furniture and home accessories. All products that are sold in Marks & Spencer stores are their own brand. Largest competitor is Bhs, formerly British Home Stores, a department store that also offers only products of own brand. ==Origin[ Edit] == The story of Marks & Spencer starts at the end of the 19th century in Russia at the time of sale stall of the Polish-born Jewish immigrant Michael Marks in Leeds. His first full fixed shop opened its doors in 1894 in Stretford Road, Hulme, in Manchester. Marks went to work with Thomas Spencer, who worked for Issac Dewhirst. Marks had borrowed money from him, £ 5 to be exact, to set up its first sales stall. In 1904, the first store under the name Marks & Spencer opened.

To 2001 was Marks & Spencer also found in the Kalverstraat, Amsterdam the Meir in Antwerp and in the Hague, but M & S decided in 2001 for its work to cease in continental Western Europe . Two years earlier, in 1999, M & S has already decided to close its 38 stores in Canada . Previously there were already 9 Canadian stores closed due to disappointing sales results. In the 1960s, M & S had a branch in Kabul, in Afghanistan, but this was later closed again. ==Return to Netherlands[ Edit] == M & S opened again In 2013 a branch in Amsterdam's Kalverstraat and in 2014 followed a shop on the corner of the Large Market Street and the wagenstraat in the Hague.There has been announced that in the future a new building for M & S will be built at the Amsterdam Rokin. [1]