Marks & Spencer’s online shopping website will receive a facelift tomorrow – its first major review since the Amazon re-launch in 2007.

marksandspencer.com has grown dramatically since its initial launch in 1999, now offering more than 22,000 products, including key growth areas such as flowers, wine, gifts, hampers, white goods and technology, personalised cards, Made-to-Measure shirts and new services such as Food to Order, M&S Energy and international delivery to 80 countries.

Following extensive customer feedback and testing, M&S has upgraded the website’s core functionality and design in a bid to not only support future growth, but to instantly improve the customer shopping experience, which will in turn drive revenue. Key changes include:

• Videos from the catwalk, actual fabric swatches (true colour and fabric pattern) and a carousel image suite that bring clothes to life and enable customers to see items from every angle.
• The inclusion of stock availability information when customers select their sizes – to help avoid disappointment.
• A more powerful and flexible search facility allowing customers to search by ‘departments’ for faster and more accurate results.
• The inclusion of reviews and ratings in search results, to guide customers in their choices.
• A wider screen for more vibrant landing pages and greater merchandising space.
• Improved outfit shopping so customers are shown suggestions on how best to mix and match, without leaving the page.
• A pop-up shopping basket so customers can automatically view and buy their selection without being diverted from their shopping page.
  

Director of M&S Direct Dave Hughes says: “We’re very excited about the changes we’re launching tomorrow as they will dramatically improve the customer journey from browsing to basket. We’re certain this will give our customers more confidence when buying with us and attract new shoppers to the site.”

Shop Your Way
In pursuit of its strategy to provide a full multi-channel service, M&S has also introduced Shop Your Way. Customers have the flexibility to place clothing, beauty and homeware orders in stores, online or over the phone, for home delivery, or free delivery to their nearest store for collection. Shop Your Way will be extended from 46 to 163 locations in the next month.

Steve Rowe, Director of Retail and M&S Direct, said: “’Shop Your Way’ is central to our multi-channel strategy so that we reach new generations of customers in a way that is convenient for them. It’s already proven incredibly popular with customers particularly in our smaller stores that perhaps don’t offer the full range of M&S products.

“As a result of this success, we’re now extending ‘Shop Your Way’ to another 106 main chain stores and 11 Simply Food stores to help make our customers’ lives easier, especially in the run-up to Christmas.”

M&S Direct reported sales of £324.4m in 2008/09, up 19.0%, with an annual sales target of £500m by 2010/11.

- Ends -

For more information:
Leisa Stewart Corporate PR 020 8718 8132

Notes to Editors:
M&S is one of the UK’s leading retailers, with more than 21 million UK customers visiting its stores each week. It offers stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding foods, responsibly sourced from over 2,000 suppliers. It employs over 78,000 people, and has over 690 UK stores as well as an expanding international business, with more than 300 stores in 40 territories.

Shop Your Way roll out

Back to press releases index

Back to top