M&S food deliveries begin with Ocado, but key clothing categories also on the menu

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 1, 2020

M&S took a major step forward on Tuesday as it launched its delivery service with Ocado. And while that’s largely about making its popular foods available online, it also includes widened availability for 800 Clothing & Home items.

M&S has invested hundreds of million of pounds into this development and said the move “marks the beginning of a transformational partnership between two iconic British brands aimed at ‘bringing the best together’ as consumers are now able to have their favourite M&S products delivered online, as part of their weekly shop”.

Ocado is both an online grocer and a technology company and has spent the past 12 months working closely with M&S on this project.

As mentioned, while this is mainly about foods (and represents the first time M&S foods will be available to buy online), shoppers can also order key M&S categories via the service, such as underwear and loungewear and kidswear/babywear.

It’s an important development for the company that has been struggling with its turnaround for some time and that was less able to take advantage of the online boom during lockdown than some other grocers because its foods weren’t available via that channel.

Analysts are divided over whether the move is a good one with some saying it’s the right thing to do after years in which rival offers could be bought online. But some, such as Richard Hyman, has called it “a mistake” and warned that it could dent profitability.