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Marks and Spencer has launched a new “checkout free” service called ‘Mobile, Pay, Go’ at six London stores ahead of Christmas, allowing customers to pick up lunch in “under 40 seconds”.
The retailer will roll out the service, previously trialled in its Edgware Road and Waterside stores to West Hampstead, Bankside, Canary Wharf and Stratford Westfield over the coming weeks.
Customers simply open the app, scan products as they go and then pay from their iPhone using Apple Pay or a saved card on their M&S.com account. Marks and Spencer said 20% of sales at M&S Waterside Simply Food are already via the app with an average of 170 items being purchased through the app every hour.
Sacha Berendji, retail, operations and property director at Marks and Spencer said: “Digitally enabled stores that offer a seamless customer experience are a crucial part of our transformation and our ambition to be a digital first retailer.
“Our customers, especially those who come to us for lunch – are so busy, any tech that can speed up the shopping experience is a massive benefit to them. Crucially, it also means our brilliant colleagues are freed up to offer great service in other parts of the store, helping to improve the overall experience in the lunchtime rush. We’re moving with pace and we can’t wait to hear what our customers think.”
Jim Cruickshank, global head of digital product, added: “Mobile, Pay, Go is one of many new initiatives we’re developing as part of our digital transformation, with agile and lean practices at the core of our approach. We’ve worked hard to deliver the fastest and most friction-free customer experience possible.”
Marks and Spencer said it will continue to collect customer feedback and adapt Mobile, Pay, Go before rolling out to more stores early next year.
The news follows the announcement Vindi Banga, senior independent director and chairman of the remuneration committee, has decided to step down from the board and will retire as a director on 1 October 2018. As a result, Andy Halford, who was appointed in January 2013, will succeed Banga as senior independent director.
Archie Norman, Marks and Spencer chairman, said: “Vindi has been an extraordinary contributor to the M&S board over seven years and is as much as anyone author of the transformation team we have in place today.
“With Robert Swannell he was highly instrumental in the appointment of Steve Rowe as chief executive and he oversaw the succession process for a new chairman. As SID and chairman of the remuneration committee the company has relied on him for his sagacity and judgement and he leaves with our enormous thanks.”
