Marks & Spencer has launched 46 websites in new overseas markets, bringing the number of international countries in which it operates as a pureplay to just over 100.

The online debuts in countries including Argentina, Pakistan and South Korea form part of M&S’s Never the Same Again programme, which aims in part to “turbocharge” ecommerce operations.

The sites carry a range of clothing and home lines, and the new markets were selected based upon insight from the main M&S.com website, which revealed “strong underlying demand from these territories”.

M&S said the launches did not require “significant upfront investment” because they deployed “an adaptable website platform” specifically designed for the international business, with orders fulfilled through the retailer’s established distribution network.

The retailer said that it can localise the offers, which typically generates a “significant“ uplift in sales.

M&S international director Paul Friston said: “Our international business has seen strong online growth since the start of the pandemic.

“Under our Never the Same Again programme, we’re focused on turbocharging our online business in the UK and internationally, and we see a real opportunity in extending the number of countries where we run an online channel further.

“Launching in an additional 46 markets means we can now reach a number of new customers who can purchase online with M&S for the first time, as well as enabling us to explore underlying demand in these markets without significant upfront investment.”

Online growth is a priority for M&S, which recently created the MS2 division to power growth through. In the retailer’s first half,international ecommerce sales rose 75%. 

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