Case Study

M&S Outlet: Launching an Enterprise Store in Five Weeks

How 247 Commerce designed, developed, and launched M&S's first-ever online outlet store on a highly compressed timeline to meet seasonal demand.

£8-12m

Contributed Annually to M&S Revenues

5 Weeks

From Project Commission to Live Launch

4+ Years

Successful Operation Before Integration

The Situation

In 2011, Marks & Spencer's network of 50 outlet stores was generating ~£250 million annually, but they had no online channel for this inventory. 247 Commerce was commissioned to design, develop, and launch M&S's first online outlet store on the Amazon Webstore platform to clear unusually high levels of excess stock.

The Challenge

The primary challenge was an extremely tight 5-week delivery schedule. This was driven by M&S's urgent need to sell excess stock at the start of the spring/summer season.

The main deliverables for this rapid build were:

Define the user journey and create wireframes
Develop and apply M&S visual identity and brand guidelines
Create all necessary page templates
Enable full SEO optimisation
Complete a full quality assurance test of the store

The Solution

We met the challenge by deploying a rapid, phased approach. The initial store was built and launched in five weeks, on time and on budget. We then provided ongoing development and support to enhance the platform's capabilities.

Rapid 5-Week Build

We successfully designed, developed, and launched the entire online outlet store on the Amazon Webstore platform on time and on budget.

CloudHub Middleware Integration

Post-launch, we deployed our proprietary CloudHub middleware to provide deep, ongoing integrations with M&S’s core enterprise systems.

Complex System Integration

Our CloudHub integration connected the store to M&S’s Red Prairie (WMS), DHL (parcel delivery), and Amazon Webstore’s refund system.

The Results

The project was a significant success, with feedback from 53 stakeholders being "overwhelmingly positive." The standalone online outlet was available for over four years,contributing between £8-12 million a year to M&S's revenues.

The site's success led to M&S integrating the outlet into their main platform as part of a £1 billion relaunch in 2015, proving the value of the online outlet channel we pioneered for them.