M&S expands online food service

Marks & Spencer plans to offer a full range of food for home delivery by Christmas 2001 for all orders placed through its website.

The website currently offers online shoppers some luxury food items such as hampers and wine.

The move to expand its online food service follows a trial in South Buckinghamshire where customers were given a CD-ROM enabling them to order online from 2,300 selected food products.

During the trial, which ended in November, food was sourced from local M&S stores and delivered to customers’ homes.

An M&S spokesman made it clear that providing a full range of foodstuffs online will be a priority for the company in 2001.

M&S will not release full details of the trial, but says that ready-made meals were most popular with the 200 people using the service.

The distribution format has not been worked out and and the Buckinghamshire trial will be analysed before reaching a decision.