M&S launches new ‘Sparks Ebook & Store’ service in England
M&S launches Sparks Book & Shop ahead of increasing restrictions in England to help customers plan reserved shopping options in advance
MS has completed the launch of the online reservation service "Sparks Book & Shop" for all 566 food halls and major grocery stores, making the service available to Sparks customers across the UK.
This service allows customers to book a guaranteed slot through the retailer's website to shop at their local M&S store. So you don't have to queue when you arrive (if there is one). The start times are set in 30-minute intervals. Upon arrival, customers (one person per household) simply check in with the friendly hosts at the entrance of their local business. The service was tested in 80 stores in Scotland and Wales after restrictions increased in those regions.
Helen Milford, Director of M&S Stores, said: “With winter approaching, we know that customers are increasingly concerned about queues. In response, we wanted to deliver a fast, digital solution that would help them shop. Designed by our in-house tech teams, Book & Shop does just that, helping Sparks customers guarantee a slot at a time that is convenient for them and eliminate the need for a queue if there is one. Of course, customers can always visit M&S without a slot, but we hope that this is a small opportunity to make things a little easier for our customers. "
With “Sparks Book & Shop”, M&S bouncers can carefully manage the number of customers in the store at all times – book for customers with assigned slots and count customers who have not reserved. M&S continues to strive to limit the number of customers in the store and continues to use a counting app in every store to ensure social distancing can be maintained.
Dominic Roberts, Store Manager at M&S Pontardulais (where the service was tested) said: "We're still all together and the entire Pontardulais team has worked hard to keep our customers and each other safe and healthy. In one Times when it was difficult to plan ahead, customers appreciate the peace of mind of booking a slot and we've had great feedback on this service – especially as restrictions have increased. "
