10th October 2019

Meet a Creator of Visual Magic

Do you get all your Christmas decorations ready in October? Probably not, it’s a bit early even for Christmas-a-holics! But last year that’s exactly when Grace, a Visual Stylist in our Christmas team at our Guildford store, started putting together Christmas trees. “It was great fun creating the window displays, especially with our Paddington Bear-themed Christmas, which everyone was talking about,” she says.

Yes, preparations for the festive season start early at M&S so we can offer our customers a happy, stress-free experience when everyone gets into serious shopping mode. As we move into December, there are decorations everywhere and Christmas music playing in the background to get everyone into the festive spirit. “There’s so much planning that goes into making it a fantastic Christmas for our customers and colleagues, but it’s worth it,” Grace says.

Grace has been surprised by two things working at M&S over Christmas. “I focus on Visual Merchandising in Womenswear and Lingerie and I’m busy from the moment I get in to the moment I leave, so it’s never dull. So much goes into delivering the in-store visuals. There are mannequins to be dressed but we also cover everything from small shelving displays to huge window schemes.”

The other thing that surprised Grace was how much she would become an M&S shopper. “I’ve been really impressed by how on-trend our clothing is. The 20% staff discount is always well spent. I frequently use my discount card to buy things for myself or gifts for others. My mum has a relative’s discount card and uses it to do our food shopping.”

Grace is proud to be part of the M&S ‘peak’ team, pointing to our place in British heritage. “Everyone knows us as a staple of the high street, delivering high-quality products at reasonable prices. If you enjoy the festive spirit and are prepared to get stuck in, why not join us? We work together as a team to deliver the fantastic service M&S is known for.”