M&S to trial online grocery service this autumn

M&S
Unlike rivals, M&S customers are currently unable to order most food products to be delivered to their homes

Marks and Spencer has said it will trial an online grocery shopping service this autumn, citing an expected shift in its customers to online. 

The announcement comes a week after M&S announced it would be opening 36 new UK stores over the next six months, 34 of which will be dedicated to its booming food business.

Steve Rowe, chief executive of M&S, said the group was continuing "to review food online carefully".  

"It has not cost us anything over the last five years by not being online with food. Our customers haven’t moved yet, but they will and we need to ensure that we are ready with the right response," Mr Rowe said.

"There are unanswered questions over what this means for M&S and we have a team looking at this now with a view to undertaking a soft trial in the autumn," he added.

Currently customers can buy online party food - for collection in store - from M&S and the group also delivers wine and gift foods such as chocolate, sweets and hampers.

However, unlike its rivals Asda, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Morrisons, M&S had not yet made a move towards online shopping.

It has been shifting more of its focus to its food operations, though, and last November, chief executive Steve Rowe announced the company would shut 30 UK stores and convert a further 45 shops into Simply Food-only stores in a move to refocus the business, which has struggled against a long-term decline in clothing sales. 

No further details of the service, which was first reported by the Guardian, were given. 

 

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