Dedicated Mobile Commerce Site for High Street Retailer

Monday, May 17, 2010 - 10:05 by Paul Tissington

High street retailers have much to think about. Not only do they have physical, bricks-and-mortar stores to manage, but they also have an internet presence, enabling consumers to do their safe shopping online. And now there is a third dimension to the retail scene-mobile commerce, as consumers hit the net whilst on the go, using their mobile phones and looking to engage in safe shopping online via this channel, too.

Many high street brands are already structured to handle the demands of multi channel e-commerce, increasingly taking steps to meet the demands of mobile, internet and walk-in consumers. One of these retailers is Marks & Spencer. The well-known high street brand is now launching its own mobile site which aims to match the functionality of its mainstream internet counterpart, Marks & Spencer's existing online store, but on a site designed especially for mobile internet consumers. This mobile site is actually the first specially-designed mobile offering from a major high street name in the UK.

The mobile site has been developed to work in conjunction with its counterpart. Thus, for example, consumers will be able to update or check their shopping baskets whilst using the site via a mobile device. Customers on the mobile site will also be able to browse and buy from a full range of items-everything from clothing to gifts to technology products will be available for purchase.

Marks & Spencer has launched the site in an era of fast-developing mobile commerce, with store management quoting market research which suggests that hundreds of thousands of consumers already buy online via their mobiles. M&S will undoubtedly be hoping that this number will continue to increase and predicts that items such as flowers and hampers will be particularly popular for those shopping via their mobile devices.