Marks and Spencer ends mainland online operations in retreat from China
British retailer, known affectionately as ‘M&S’ in the UK, announced it will close its online shop on Tmall, ending a retail presence in mainland China that dates back to 2008
British retailer Marks and Spencer said it plans to soon end its online operations in mainland China, citing the complexity and cost of trading on the country’s “highly promotional” online market, according to the company.
The London-based clothing and food chain, established in 1884, has in recent years expanded its foothold in overseas markets, including mainland China. However, it has been grappling with declining sales in some of its key international markets, closing its brick-and-mortar stores in the mainland in 2016, as well as nine other countries.
The company said in November 2016, when it announced the closures of its mainland retail shops, that it would “continue to trade online” while reviewing its online presence in China.
Nevertheless, only a year after those closures, the company posted an announcement that it plans to close its online Tmall store, citing “a strategic review of our international business”.
“The complexity and cost of trading, together with the highly promotional online Chinese market means continuing to operate our online business in China is unsustainable”, a company spokesperson said.
“We recognise the impact that these plans will have on our colleagues and we will engage with them continuously throughout this process,” the spokesperson said.
