Debenhams is ramping up its online business by offering shoppers in selected overseas destinations the option to have goods delivered to their homes with a new international delivery service.
The department store operator will deliver to France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and the US, with prices starting from £7 and delivery time ranging from five to 14 working days.
The move brings Debenhams in line with rivals including Marks & Spencer and Next, which have ramped up their international online delivery offers in recent years. Next has said it will now use clicks rather than bricks to expand overseas.
Nielsen internet analyst Alex Burmaster said: “On a general level, anything that provides an extra offering online gives a salient advantage. If you’re a big brand that is known internationally, there will inevitably be expats and locals who want to take advantage of a service like this. The big question is whether there will be enough people to make it worthwhile.”
The international delivery service, which launched on March 15, follows the revamp of Debenhams’ website last year, which aimed to improve navigation and search. At the time, Debenhams also launched a “Be Inspired” area on its website, giving shoppers styling and trends advice.
Debenhams is now the ninth largest online department store, according to Hitwise, with 930,000 customers visiting its site last year.
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