10th Feb 11
Marks & Spencer planning global expansion
by Natasha Redman
Marks and Spencer is creating its first international website intended to attract customers over the internet. The retailer is renowned for its under-representation in new shopping channels. Its foreign language site is an effort to combat this by taking the initiative online.
The company has not said which country its mixture of children’s wear, women’s fashion and home furnishings will be launched in. Sources believe it will be Japan, America or France. However, they say Japan is the least likely as the retailer already has Asian distribution through two China stores.
The company has made Laura Wade-Gery its executive director of multi-channel commerce. Her first task will be to launch the new website, which some consider a tough challenge. Marks and Spencer’s rivals have all already launched their own internet offerings of food and clothing.
The retailer’s e-commerce accounts currently only amount to five per cent of its total UK sales. Fashion company Next, however, already makes £837 million from its website and Directory catalogues.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco also have advanced internet services. Both companies have services that allow customers to have their weekly shopping delivered to their door. Their websites also allow users to browse their fashion and electronic offerings.
Morrison’s boss Dalton Phillips is now racing with Marks and Spencer to crack the online market. Neither retailer sells groceries online. While Marks and Spencer already offers clothing online, the functionality and website display are poor.
There have been suggestions that Morrison may buy online food retailer Ocado. However, with a price tag of £1.5 billion and an exclusive contract to sell only Waitrose products, the move is unlikely.
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