Retro Nostalgia 1999: Boss hopes branch can make its Mark!

New Marks and Spencers manager, Martyn Prothero is keeping a weather eye on trade – quite literally – because the difference between an Indian summer and crisp autumn can see trade dramatically rise and fall.

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Oct 2019, 17:10 BST

It’s one of the tricks of the trade which the man at Marks has to know to see the store prosper.

Seven weeks after moving to the Falkirk High Street branch, Mr Prothero (43), felt his first “buzz” of building trade in the store last Saturday.

“The last thing Marks and Spencers or any clothing retailer wants is an Indian summer when we have pitched towards cold weather buying. Nobody wants to buy a woollen coat or thermal underwear when the sun is splitting the sky,’’ he said.

While Falkirk has every  department apart from household, it is competing with larger branches at The Gyle and Glasgow for customers.

Mr Prothero hopes his customer friendly approach will woo the shoppers.

Customers can also expect to see regular new lines in the food hall and improvements in accessibility in the lighting and collect by car services.