Marks and Spencer 2010 Annual Report Download - page 34

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Marks and Spencer Group plc Annual report and financial statements 2010 Directors’ report 30
How we sell
Multi-channel continued
Launched in February 2009, M&S TV is part
of our website and uses video to showcase
our latest products and services, using M&S
experts to give advice on everything from
how to accessorise an outfit to cooking the
perfect Christmas dinner.
M&S TV features a Click-to-Buy function
that allows customers to quickly buy what
they see on screen, with click-through rates
as high as 30%. M&S TV content has
appeared on Facebook and Twitter and in
December we launched a YouTube channel,
to further extend the reach.
Talking to customers
As part of the site refresh we also increased
the prominence of our customer product
ratings and reviews. We know our customers
value these independent views and that they
can boost conversation rates, as customers
that have read a product review are twice
as likely to buy than customers that haven’t.
We have also embraced broader social
networking opportunities such as Facebook
and Twitter. We currently have over 112,000
fans on our Facebook site, which provides
the ideal forum for us to test new product
ideas and tap into the opinions of an
engaged customer base.
Home catalogue
The circulation of our Home Catalogue
continues to grow, reaching over 1.6 million
customers this year and acting as a source
of ideas and inspiration. Given the square
footage requirements of furniture, it’s not
possible to showcase our full Home offer
in all stores but our Home catalogue is an
opportunity for customers to view the entire
range at their leisure.
M&S Home Catalogue was named
Best Catalogue at the 2009 Association
of Publishing Agencies (APA) International
Customer Publishing Awards.
International delivery
In October 2009 we expanded our
international delivery service and we now
deliver to 80 international destinations, from
France, Germany and Spain to Africa, USA,
New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
Store strategy
Our stores remain the most popular way for
customers to shop with M&S, with 21 million
customers visiting us each week. There are
five main elements to our store strategy:
add new and extend existing major out of –
town stores
enhance our position in major cities –
extend our presence in retail parks –
continue and complete our high street –
modernisation strategy and review stores
that underperform
continue to build on our successful long- –
term Simply Food business.
QUALITY
Above: Wine Club The M&S Wine Club has
gained a loyal following since its launch in 2008,
with over 10,000 subscribers. Our Wine Plan now
offers customers the choice of a contemporary or
premium plan, providing a hand picked selection of
fine wines conveniently delivered direct to their door
on a monthly basis.
INNOVATION & SERVICE
Left: M&S goes mobile As traditional online retail
matures, mobile is expected to become the growth
area for internet retailing and in May 2010 M&S
become the first major UK high street retailer to
launch a mobile shopping site. Customers on
the move are able to search, browse and buy easily
from any web-enabled mobile phone or device.
The site is always in sync with the main M&S
website so that customers can log into their regular
online account and manage their shopping basket
from their mobile.