…so to lure back the spenders…

George Pitcher (MW July 22) misses the point. Perhaps it is not quite the same as Middle England, but Middle-aged England certainly does exist. There are 20 million people in the UK aged 50 and over, with plenty of money to spend between them – and if 52 per cent of them are women, this adds up to a staggering 10.4 million people!

All recent research shows that age, rather than class, is one of the most powerful retail discriminators. Speaking as one of those over-50 women still earning and looking for things to buy, I can assure George Pitcher that, should M&S choose to return to fashions that can be worn by Middle-aged England, they would witness a fantastic turnaround not just in sales but in brand loyalty.

Certainly, Stuart Rose has got nothing to lose by trying to woo this customer base!

Janet Weitz

Chairman and chief executive

FDS International

London N19