Marks & Spencer, admitted that it had been forced to extend delivery times for online orders as a new distribution centre has struggled to cope with heavy Christmas demand.
The retailer had attracted a jump in orders during its four-day promotion, which started on November 28 to coincide with “Black Friday” events across the industry.
To ensure delivery options offered to customers were accurate, M&S extended slots on its website for standard delivery from three to five days to as many as 10 days and withdrew next-day delivery, prompting some complaints on social media. Next-day delivery to homes has since been switched back on, but deliveries to stores are still taking two to three days.
“Our customer is always our top priority and that is why we’ve extended some of our delivery options,” M&S said in a statement on Monday.
“The vast majority of orders are delivered on time. If we do miss a delivery date, we will do all we can to rectify it for the customer.”
The retailer’s fully automated 900,000 square foot, e-commerce distribution centre in Castle Donington, central England, opened in April last year and was scheduled to reach full capacity in the run-up to Christmas this year.
M&S’s new website went live in April this year but has also been beset by teething problems. M&S.com sales fell 6.3 per cent in the first half to September 27, though the firm claimed last month it was on track to return to growth ahead of the peak trading period.
