Marks & Spencer is planning to take website lessons
from successful e-retailer Amazon.
The high-street chain has signed an agreement with Amazon-owned
Amazon Services Europe to host and provide the technology for its
branded website and its in-store and telephone ordering and
customer services systems.
Marks & Spencer will retain responsibility for managing the
website, customer service operations, warehousing and
distribution.
The first phase of the work should be complete in summer 2006,
and M&S expects to make cost savings through an integrated
ordering service that can deal with purchases made in-store, online
or by telephone.
Steven Sharp, marketing and e-commerce director at Marks &
Spencer, said: “Marks & Spencer already has a successful
website with over 24 million visits every year, but our e-commerce
and customer ordering capabilities have yet to reach their full
potential. A partnership with Amazon will help us achieve this,
while allowing us to concentrate on our core business of
retailing.”
The alliance with Marks & Spencer marks Amazon's entry into
the European retail services market.