Compared to the likes of Sainsbury’s and Tesco, both the quality and marginally higher prices of M&S have meant that not everyone has had the opportunity to make their products a regular part of their everyday cooking.
In part, also, has been the fact that unlike other supermarket chains, M&S food hall goods have remained unavailable for home delivery except from a limited number of locations in Central London, but thanks to a brand new partnership with delivery giants Ocado, this is all set to change. The high street mainstay has just announced the purchase of a 50% share in Ocado’s retail business for a whopping £750 million, and this is going to open the door to creating a home delivery food shopping experience that means many more customers will be able to make M&S a more regular part of their weekly food shop.
This joint venture will mark a first for M&S, and when Ocado’s current deal with rival supermarket Waitrose expires in 2020, that is when the planned delivery service will begin operations. This will finally give customers all over the country the chance to order and receive more than 4,500 different M&S food products, opening up the brand to even more potential business than ever before without having to go to a shop.
M&S have put this plan into action in the hope of battling the ever increasing fall of traffic and sales in the high street. They hope that increased online delivery activity will be able to balance out the reduced physical sales in stores, and therefore securing the future of Marks and Spencer as the British people have known it for generations.
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