Littlewoods targets online performance

Littlewoods Shop Direct Group is using website availability and performance monitoring systems to improve its online shopping experience and build on long-term IT infrastructure transformation investments.

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But the website optimisation work follows on from a series of projects to improve this and other, core areas of Littlewoods business. In April last year the group announced it had completed negotiations to streamline six suppliers and a whole range of data and telephony networks in a five-year, multi-million pound deal with Cable & Wireless. It was expected the network infrastructure would support the retailer's online business growth, which makes up around a quarter of its annual revenue.

Prior to that it had to integrate the legacy, bespoke IT infrastructures of its mail-order agency operations with brands including Great Universal, Kays and Choice as a result of their merger in 2005.

A 25-year veteran enterprise technology expert, Miya Knights applies her deep understanding of technology gained through her journalism career to both her role as a consultant and as director at Retail Technology Magazine, which she helped shape over the past 17 years. Miya was educated at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in English.

Her role as a journalist has seen her write for many of the leading technology publishers in the UK such as ITPro, TechWeekEurope, CIO UK, Computer Weekly, and also a number of national newspapers including The Times, Independent, and Financial Times.