Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
This year Marks & Spencer (M&S) customers are getting ready for Christmas earlier than ever before.
The clothing, home and food products chain said ‘Christmas’ has been in the top 10 customer searches on M&S.com since the beginning of September, with an average of 2,500 searches a day.
In response M&S launched its online gift shop at https://www.marksandspencer.com/christmas on September 26. This online launch is a week earlier than last year and followed the introduction of in-store gift shops at seven stores (Marble Arch, Glasgow Argyle Street, Gemini, Liffey Valley, Cheshire Oaks, White City and Pudsey) a week earlier. The in-store gift shops were launched earlier than ever before and ahead of the rest of M&S’ stores which followed last Friday (October 4).
Research from M&S shows that 28% of customers start planning their present giving in November, with 23% starting in October and 16% in September. An organised 8% start in January but 11% are still last-minute shoppers – not thinking about it until December.
M&S clothing & home marketing director Nathan Ansell said: “We know our customers are living busier lives than ever before and that for many families, starting their Christmas shopping early – be that in-store or online – can help make the festive season more enjoyable. We want to make life easier for busy families who shop with M&S, which is why we’re launching Christmas earlier than ever before.”
