Selfridges investing in multichannel

Luxury department store Selfridges is investing 40 million pounds on its website to “future-proof its multichannel

business” over the next five years.

The investment, which is the largest single investment in Selfridges.com since it launched, comes as the department store looks to address the rise in its online customers accessing its site through smartphones and tablets, which accounts for 60 percent of its traffic.

The new site launches today and has been designed to be more responsive to mobile shopping, with it being designed to suit a person’s finger on a touchscreen smartphone rather than a computer cursor.

To mark the sites revamp, Selfridges has also added more than 100 labels to its online offering, including Victoria Beckham and Burberry, meaning that 80 percent of the brands and products available in its shops will be sold online.

In addition, the site will have more of a fashion presence headed up by Nicola Copping, who has previously held online editorial roles at Marks & Spencer and Mywardrobe.com.

It is also hoped that the new-look Selfridges.com will also attract more overseas shoppers, which currently account for a third of its online business, with Hong Kong, China and the US being its largest markets.