Marks & Spencer has added a customer credit facility to its Sparks loyalty programme as part of efforts to offer members a “more personalised and digitally driven customer experience”.
Marks & Spencer, which has switched to a digital-first business model, said the Sparks Pay credit account provides customers with up to £500 that can be used on the retailer’s app or main website.
It is anticipated that the account will be made available to in-store customers next year, taking into account customer feedback and experience from the online launch.
Sparks Pay is designed to provide a “seamless and secure payment experience” including one-click purchasing and balance tracking.
Sparks was relaunched as a digital-first proposition two years ago, and in that time user numbers have more than doubled from 7 million to just under 16 million.
M&S said that the initiative, being run with M&S Bank, reflects the growth of digital credit and payment innovations, as well as the rise of online shopping – for instance, M&S.com now accounts for 34% of all the retailer’s clothing and home sales.
M&S director of services Kirsty Ward said: “We are excited to debut Sparks Pay, another new benefit for our Sparks customers.
“We are setting out to create better-connected and smoother payment solutions across M&S.com, our app and stores nationwide, and today marks our first new solution – an easy-to-manage and secure credit option providing a seamless checkout experience.”
- Get the latest fashion news and analysis straight to your inbox – sign up for our weekly newsletter
1 Reader's comment