Amazon to underpin M&S online

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS

Amazon.com has signed a deal to provide e-commerce technology and hosting services to Marks & Spencer, the American e-tailer said on Tuesday.

Under the terms of the deal, Amazon Services Europe — a new subsidiary — will host and provide the technology behind Marks & Spencer's Web site, as well as the company's in-store and telephone ordering and customer services systems. However, the London-based retailer will remain responsible for the management of the site. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

During the first phase of the project, slated for completion in the summer of 2006, the companies plan to build an integrated ordering system.

Marks & Spencer executives said the Amazon pact will allow the British retailer to remain more focused on its core operations. They cited the fact that their Web site already attracts more than 24 million visits every year as proof that the company is already successful online.

For Amazon, the deal adds another major name to add to the growing list of customers of its e-commerce services. The deal also represents Amazon's entry into the European retail services market. During the last several years, Amazon Services has won similar Web-hosting and e-commerce technology agreements with companies such as Borders.com, CD Now, Target and Toys 'R' Us.

As part of the deal, Amazon announced the launch of Amazon Services Europe, which will be based in Luxembourg.

Talkback

"The deal also represents Amazon's entry into the European retail services market."

I don't know what that means, there is already an Amazon.co.uk. But did you know that the .co.uk site was a different company from the US .com site, they operate separately. Ha!

One only has to go to the US .com site to experience its superiority for example they have tracks that can be sampled in both .RA and .WMA format, when asking Amazon UK if they were going to follow suit they said no, similarly wish-lists can not be searched or viewed more than 50 items on a page (not flexible) - why? well the system can't do it and they don’t want to?! what! Try saying that in America.

Christ, Amazon.com are even supporting short films, they let you watch them for free right on the front page and vote for them, that replaced the Tsunami appeal...get some!

M&S is going through a bad patch and they don't need some can't-do company like Amazon.co.uk to mess things up.

via Facebook 20 April, 2005 00:58
Reply

M&S online users will discover that amazon's CRM package amounts to nothing more than mindless form-mail. God help them if they have problems, because amazon won't.

via Facebook 20 April, 2005 17:05
Reply

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

kevinmchapman

Er, no... It is an efficient means of finding the application/file/setting you need in one place. The icons are a simply a fallback for when you...

33 minutes ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
TerryRK

Isn't the provision of a text based search an admission by the developers that the mass of icons approach does not work? I don't need to use a...

2 hours ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
kevinmchapman

"Unity and GNOME 3 both abandon the old text-based cascading menus in favour of a graphical icon-driven system." Point truly missed. Both use a...

2 hours ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
TerryRK

whs001 - Thank you, I'm glad you liked the article. I absolutely agree with you on your first point. I should perhaps have made it clearer that...

2 hours ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Dennis Nilsson

If we allow corporate interest to dictate the way our government circumvents due process against foreign entities then we should accept the same...

3 hours ago by Dennis Nilsson via Facebook on ACTA stumbles in Germany
GHar123

I totally dislike pirating of works, I fear that artists will be deterred from creating works if they think that they are going to get ripped off....

5 hours ago by GHar123 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
JCB33

How dare film makers, artists or anybody that invests in creativity stop us pirating their works for free. I want to be able to walk into my local...

11 hours ago by JCB33 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
Moley

@GrueMaster. I prefer horses for courses rather than one size fits all. I, and I suspect most other computer users, do not really wish to have...

13 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
greycynic

The product that scares me every time I have to use it is the Office 2007 version of Excel. The first bug that I found was applying the median...

13 hours ago by greycynic on Ten flawed products that derail productivity
GrueMaster

Nice review and very informative. One thing I'd like to add (in reply to whs001's 1st question), the main reason to have the same interface from...

14 hours ago by GrueMaster on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Frederick Wrigley

I'be been using Mint 12 since the RC came out, and I am far more happy with the Cinnamon, the Mate, and, yes (with extensions), theGnome 3...

15 hours ago by Frederick Wrigley via Facebook on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
bdantas

Excellent article. One small correction, though--although a fresh installation of Linux Mint 12 will, indeed, provide the user with a version of...

16 hours ago by bdantas on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

16 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

17 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Moley

For Gnome 2 die-hards, it is possible to add icons to the bottom panel (or top top panel, if you prefer) which provide the exact Gnome 2...

17 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
ramwellian

Your comments would seem pretty naive and immature. Your 'solution' appears to be, "gee, let's all just give in to the hackers and give them...

17 hours ago by ramwellian on Cloud computing security: no more oxymoron?
BugStalker

"Interesting thought ... If you installed Win7 as a dual boot on a machine that previously only had Linux, and it wrecked your Linux installation,...

18 hours ago by BugStalker on Windows 7 Declares War on GRUB
whs001

This is an excellent summary of Ubuntu and Mint and the interface differences between them. Most such articles take a very partisan position for...

18 hours ago by whs001 on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Moley

@ewallace. Not so clear. Anyone can obtain the text, for example from here http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2379. I support ACTA so long as it and...

18 hours ago by Moley on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
45283

I think WinRT is fantastic. I just wish it was an option for people that didn't want to go through Microsoft's App Store with its attendant...

21 hours ago by 45283 on Why Windows 8 needs architectural hygiene for WOA