M&S Foodhall — Local services in London

This is the only chain grocery store in Hampstead Heath. Unfortunately it is poorly managed and has left us frustrated on several occasions. Firstly their offer system, e.g. 3 for £10, doesn't always work at the self-service till and you have to go rectify it at the customer service counter. In fact on some occasions we have found that either something marked as 3 for £10 is actually no longer part of the deal or vice versa whereby something is not marked but is part of the deal. The self-service machines never actually seem to be fully functioning which is poor for a company this size. Their ability to keep things stocked, particularly fruit and vegetables is poor. I appreciate these things are subject to external factors but it would be courteous to have a sign explaining why something as basic as cabbage has been out of stock for over two days. The deli counter is a bit of a joke. The food is ridiculously expensive but doesn't actually offer anything to justify the price. That unfortunately is not very surprising given that M&S charge a premium for supposed quality. On the plus side the staff are generally helpful and friendly. Never had any issues with any of them or witnessed any...

By no means the widest range of products (pantry goods like tinned food and grains/cereals are very limited in my opinion), I do think M&S cover their bases very well. It’s an attractive store, well-laid out, and the quality of the fresh food can’t be faulted. The bakery is, as always, reliable (if you arrive early enough) and I see that they are making efforts to source more options for things like yoghurt. I recommend their cheese section and I have been known to buy gorgeous flowers from them now and again.

Staff are generally helpful, if rushed off their feet; they can often be unpacking and moving stacks of product in the middle of pretty narrow aisles, all at the same time, which can make navigating during busy periods very difficult.

All in all though, a trusted stop for groceries, essential...

Rotten food at premium prices. This used to be a store with quality food at reasonable prices. The quality has declined sharply in the last year or so while prices have remained elevated. This is not just one time but several times I have come home with fruit and veggies that when opened, and were 3-4 days before the best before date, were simply rotten. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, avocados, tomatoes, salad, greens… And the list goes on. This is simply unacceptable and I’ve had to ask for refunds several times which I got but the point is I have wasted my time and came home with rotten food that I couldn’t eat. They have serious problems at the store with food storage and quality control and it’s not improving. I have been looking to shop elsewhere because I...