Marks & Spencer has launched the much-touted
transactional website that it developed in collaboration with
Amazon.
The UK’s largest clothes retailer has been developing the
e-commerce platform using Amazon’s technology since the
collaboration was announced in April 2005.
The website will need to deliver greatly increased online sales
quickly.
At last November’s half-yearly results presentation, chief
executive Stuart Rose said that online sales had to double from
£100m to £200m a year within a short timeframe.
While Marks & Spencer has concentrated on its recovery since
Rose became chief executive in 2004, its online operation has been
overtaken by some of its competitors.
Last week, Next announced that its online sales for the year to
the end of January had exceeded £350m.
The website is more than a straightforward white-labelling of
Amazon’s e-commerce platform. Marks & Spencer has used Amazon
to help customers track orders more easily.
Systems integrator Conchango helped the retailer integrate the
new platform with its core merchandising system.
Retailers plan e-commerce platform upgrades
Marks & Spencer sets sales targets for new e-commerce
platform
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