Marks & Spencer: E-Business Applications and Digital Disruption Report

This report examines the e-business applications employed by Marks & Spencer as part of its digital transformation strategy. It highlights the company's shift from a traditional physical retail model to an omnichannel approach, emphasizing the integration of online, physical stores, and mobile platforms to enhance customer experience. The report details Marks & Spencer's investments in IT infrastructure, including in-store WiFi upgrades, the Sparks Loyalty Card, and improvements to its website for features like next-day collection and returns. The analysis covers how the retailer leverages digital tools such as interactive in-store displays and digital kiosks. The conclusion suggests further improvements through technologies like facial recognition, augmented reality, and smart stock tracking to create a unified customer engagement experience.

RUNNING HEAD: E-Business Applications
E-Business Applications
Marks & Spencer

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Marks & Spencer Retail Digital Disruption...............................................................................2
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................4

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Introduction
Retail Sector is now going through digital reinvention and renewal. Consumers are
considering shopping as an important experience. This expectation of simple, easy and
convenient purchasing experience remains same through online, physical stores, mobile
application, and website or through other digital media. In this overall concept, consumer
behaviour is changing and it is impacting the process of transformation in retail landscape.
The shopping is now all about experience regardless of channels. The journey of consumer is
more dynamic, continuous and complex in digital era. Retailers may add more value to
consumers’ shopping experience through integration of retail channels, digital distribution
channels and extensive sharing power of social media (Turow, 2014).
Marks & Spencer Retail Digital Disruption
Marks & Spencer is a British multinational retailer dealing in clothing business from a long
time. From a strong dependency on physical mode of doing business, now it has felt that
there is need of transformation from physical to digital. This company is now much more
focused to bring digital culture which will support their online as well as multi-channel
strategy. It has considered digital transformation as core part of their business.
This company has understood the potential of adopting digital and forecasted digital adoption
as critical to their business success. The best thing about their digital culture adoption is that
the adoption has been advocated and supported by strong top management recommendations
and well thought strategic planning (Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson, 2014).
In store, Marks & Spencer Team is using iPods and FaceTime to share views about their store
and they are using it as collaborative digital tool. In recent times, Marks & Spencer has made
considerable IT investment to upgrade in-store WiFi facility. They have started their Sparks
Loyalty Card to catch customer data and bring new insights through use of analytics.
Marks & Spencer has gained its increased revenue through well combination of better digital
content and online commerce. Through improved IT infrastructure, Marks & Spencer has
provided Next Day Collect facility from stores, return facility to stores and stock indication

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level through its website. Through their online and offline approach, Marks & Spencer has
become a progressive multichannel retailer.
Marks & Spencer has revolutionised the concept of digitally enabled retail stores through
Interactive Stores where large screen displays are placed and through which consumers can
search, choose and pick their desired clothes. Also these display screens allow consumers to
see how models are looking while wearing these cloths. This old retail store has made it
digital makeover through providing digital kiosks and option of virtual makeover to their
customers (Bilgihan, Kandampully and Zhang, 2016).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that Marks & Spencer is providing better customer experience
through its Omni-channel approach. It can be suggested that this experience can be improved
through use of facial recognition, in-store smart stock tracking, augmented reality and smart
lighting. All back office work must be well aligned to support uniform customer engagement
and experience (Bennett and Azhari, 2015).

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References
Bennett, D.R. and El Azhari, J., 2015. Omni-channel customer experience: An investigation
into the use of digital technology in physical stores and its impact on the consumer's decision-
making process.
Bilgihan, A., Kandampully, J. and Zhang, T., 2016. Towards a unified customer experience
in online shopping environments: Antecedents and outcomes. International Journal of
Quality and Service Sciences, 8(1), pp.102-119.
Piotrowicz, W. and Cuthbertson, R., 2014. Introduction to the special issue information
technology in retail: Toward omnichannel retailing. International Journal of Electronic
Commerce, 18(4), pp.5-16.
Turow, J., 2014. The Digital Transformation of Physical Retailing. The Ubiquitous Internet:
User and Industry Perspectives, 25, p.146.