M&S doubles global webstores with launches in 46 new countries

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 8, 2021

M&S has launched webstores in as many as 46 new international markets as it works to boost its global ambitions, “instantly expanding its online reach to over 100 countries and enabling millions more customers to purchase M&S products”.

It means consumers in markets as diverse as Nepal, Bolivia, Fiji, Bulgaria, Iceland, Tunisia, Argentina and Uzbekistan can now buy from the M&S Clothing & Home ranges.

The launch is part of M&S’s focus to “turbocharge its online business under its Never the Same Again transformation programme”, and almost doubles the number of international markets where it has a pureplay online presence.

This all makes sense as, with its last results announcement, it reported a 75% increase in international e-commerce sales, “underlining the recent shift in online customer spend throughout the pandemic”. And it added that products like its Sienna Straight Leg Jean were bestsellers across multiple different international markets. 
 
The new move comes as part of a wider focus on digital for the firm in its core UK market.

And the company said insight from its UK-focused M&S.com website “indicates strong underlying demand” from international markets, which the retailer can now maximise without heavy costs.

In fact, keeping costs low and profits high is a major feature of the expansion plan. The company said it “has been achieved using a low-cost approach, which combines an adaptable website platform specifically designed for its international business and customers, with orders from these websites fulfilled through M&S’s established distribution network. 

“This means that ongoing costs mirror customer demand, and by having an adaptable website platform, M&S can further increase the localisation of its offer quickly and efficiently in response.”

As well as the 46 new markets, the company said its webstores are now also available in 10 additional languages and a wider range of currencies, and with “a more localised online experience, sales increase significantly”.

Paul Friston, International Director said: “Our international business has seen strong online growth since the start of the pandemic as increasing numbers of customers choose to shop through our range of flagship websites. Under our Never the Same Again programme we’re focused on turbocharging our online business both in the UK and internationally, and as part of this we see a real opportunity in extending the number of countries where we run an online channel further. 

“Launching in an additional 46 markets means we can now reach a number of new customers who can purchase online with M&S for the first time and receive our fantastic M&S products in a few short clicks, as well as enabling us to explore underlying demand in these markets without significant upfront investment.”