M&S Foodhall — Local services in London

I want to start by saying that I genuinely like the Marks & Spencer in Brixton. I shop there regularly and, personally, I haven’t had any issues with the staff or my own experience. The store provides the same high level of quality food that I admire about M&S across the country. However, I did witness an incident that left me feeling very uncomfortable ethically, and it has stayed with me since. On that occasion, a Jamaican man and his acquaintance were publicly accused of serious theft while standing at the till. The situation quickly became heated. What struck me was that he was able to show proof of purchase, yet the confrontation still escalated unnecessarily. What concerned me most was not only the accusation itself but also the manner in which it was handled. In retail, situations like this can usually be resolved calmly by asking for receipts, verifying items, or re-scanning products that may not have registered correctly. Directly accusing someone of theft without first clarifying the situation is unfair, and it risks leaving customers feeling profiled. I do understand that Brixton is a challenging area for retail, with frequent shoplifting that negatively affects businesses, staff, and the wider community. It is an incredibly difficult environment, and I appreciate that employees have to cope with stress and sometimes even aggressive offenders. At the same time, the way customers are treated still matters. Staff should be supported to manage these pressures without approaching genuine customers with hostility, or escalating disagreements. Although I personally continue to shop at Brixton M&S and haven’t had problems myself, on principle, I found that what I witnessed was wrong. Ethically, it was troubling — the man clearly felt profiled, the situation could easily have been handled with more professionalism, and it left a very negative impression of how customers are treated when suspicion falls...

I usually love Marks and Sparks so had high hopes when going here for the first time. Small range of clothes, no changing rooms, was suggested i go in the corner and try on a skirt over my tights. It was fine but not ideal if I was another person who might not feel comfortable doing that for any reason. Unsure about the staff. I asked "Is the returns policy 14 or 28 days?" The cashiers response "yeah, its one of them". Really not helpful. (Another ashier confirmed it was 35 days). Yet again, cashier didn't say the total bill for when I was done and needed to pay. How am i supposed to know you are finished and would like me to pay if you just stand there looking at me? Also, what if i couldn't see the screen for whatever reason, I wouldn't be able to know the price. The cashier didn't ask if I wanted the hanger, nor did she take the clothes off the hangers or fold the clothes. Just meant I had to do it and make the next customer wait even longer - sorry hun, not my fault. I think these are small customer service attributes that should be as a given so I was very disappointed in shopping there. Probably won't be going back...

I recently had a very unpleasant experience at the Brixton store on the 12/5/2025 around 7pm. I spent just over £6, but when I tried to pay at the self-checkout, a banana didn’t scan properly. The black African lady with thick black glasses who was at the self-checkout immediately asked why I hadn’t paid for it, without considering that it might have been an honest mistake. She made me feel like I was trying to steal it, which was incredibly embarrassing.

The situation escalated when the back african security got involved, and they seemed to take her side without trying to understand what had actually happened. Instead of offering help or handling the situation calmly, it felt like I was being unfairly accused. I left feeling upset and humiliated.

I understand mistakes can happen, but the way I was treated was completely unnecessary and made the whole experience uncomfortable. I hope management will address the way staff handle such situations moving forward so that others don’t have to experience the same...