UK high street retailers throw their weight behind online ops

London

BRITISH fashion retailers will switch their spending firepower to technology from the high street in 2017 after online shopping became the key driver of sales growth over the all-important festive period.

Marks & Spencer is investing in apps, its website and logistics, while spending £350 million (S$617 million) over five years to close 10 per cent of clothing and home space.

Department store John Lewis said it was cutting staff bonuses in part to enable it to invest in its online operations after 40 per cent of its Christmas sales came from the web.

And Next, which failed to keep up with rivals for a second Christmas in a row, will spend £10 million to improve its online operations and marketing. "They will have to invest in infrastructure and it will weigh on margins, but if you get it right you have a profitable online business," sai…