Marks and Spencer considers online food offer
Retailer slow off the mark online, says Rose
Marks & Spencer is considering selling its upmarket food ranges online as it looks for a partner to develop its e-commerce offer.
M&S chief executive Stuart Rose told a Barclays retail conference that the company is looking at ways of expanding its online sales. Last month, the company confirmed that it is in talks with potential online partners, but did not comment on reports that Amazon was in the frame.
Rose said that M&S ought to be pushing harder when it comes to developing its online offer, and said: “In my opinion, we can do better on the food side.”
The M&S website currently focuses on the retailer’s clothing ranges, with only wine and gift hampers representing its food side.
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Iceland all have online grocery operations in-house, while Waitrose, which has a premium food product range comparable with that of M&S, offers online shopping though Ocado, in which it has a stake.
