Marks & Spencer announces 70% growth in mobile related sales
Marks & Spencer has announced an increase in group sales of 3.1 per cent and revealed that mobile sales grew by over 70 per cent in the last year.
The company has revealed the increase in group sales during its fourth quarter, ending last month, as a result of UK sales growth in food of 6.5 per cent, and a decrease in general merchandise of 2.2 per cent. Multi-channel sales were reported to have grown by 22.9 per cent and international sales by seven per cent.
The company said that during the quarter its multi-channel growth had accelerated as a result of its click and collect offer ‘Shop Your Way’ which had increased website traffic. Improved mobile shopping had also helped following the recent upgrade of its mobile app.
Marc Bolland, chief executive of Marks & Spencer said in a statement: "We are working hard on improving our performance in general merchandise and, despite difficult trading conditions, we made progress in our operational execution.
"We delivered an excellent result in Food, with performance well ahead of the market, as customers continued to trust us for provenance and quality. We are increasingly seen as the destination shop for special occasions.
"Multi-channel sales growth accelerated and our International business also performed well during the quarter."
The company’s e-commerce distribution centre will begin operation later this month, while the retailer expects a news web platform to launch next Spring.