Marks & Spencer now allows purchase without paying

At Marks & Spencer, online customers can now pay in arrears: they have the opportunity to pay interest-free in four instalments. The trend of paying for items in instalments is also gaining momentum elsewhere.

From 30 pounds

From mid-November, the British department store chain offers the customers of its website the choice to pay for their purchases at a later date. They can spread the cost for orders of more than 30 pounds over four instalments, according to Fashion Network. In this way, M&S hopes to boost sales for the important end-of-year period. The British chain is struggling with declining turnover figures: in its previous financial year, which ended at the end of March, turnover has fallen by 3 % (and non-food sales by even 3.6 %). 

The payment system is a success: their partner Clearpay, which also offers the same service to Urban Outfitters, has only been operating in the United Kingdom for a few months and already has 200,000 active users in the first fifteen weeks.

Marks & Spencer follows in the footsteps of H&M, which also started to offer this option – in some of the physical stores of the fashion group. “Why are we doing it? For the same reason we already offer a ‘return in store’ service, or free delivery. Customers expect the best shopping experience. Whether it’s online or offline”, the Swedes say.