Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
John Lewis has released a message from its Christmas buyer Dan Cooper, in which he shares some of the department store group’s strategies for Christmas 2017.
“This autumn our shops will take personalisation to the next level as we introduce Christmas Villages into a total of 11 locations, bringing together everything you could wish for when preparing for Christmas.
“As well as personalised baubles, sacks and wrapping paper, for the first time John Lewis has partnered with the Magic Candy Factory to offer customers the chance to have a selfie transformed into delicious fruit jelly.
“Customers can also visit the Great Wall of Baubles in selected shops – an area from which they can pick and mix a bespoke combination of baubles from a spectrum of 25 colours. “The majority of our tree ornaments are hand blown and hand decorated by skilled artisans in Europe and Asia, and we’re celebrating their skill with a collection of baubles we call Art of the Glassmaker – a showcase of some of the oldest and newest techniques in bauble-making.
“Buying Christmas decorations for John Lewis must be one of the best jobs in the world. We are always developing new ideas to excite our customers, and this year we have travelled the world to bring together seven brand new decoration themes.
“Each theme is inspired by the fables and traditions of a particular country or region. For example, ‘Folklore’ takes its cue from Eastern European traditions, whilst ‘Winter Palace’ tells the story of Russia’s Father Frost and his helper, the Snow Maiden.
“Being a lover of the great outdoors, my favourite theme this year is ‘Into the Woods’, which is set in the mossy, enchanted forests of Ireland.
“And this year – you heard it here first – tinsel is back. We’ve worked with our manufacturer in Wales to update this retro decoration and offer it in exciting new guises. My favourite is the oak leaf tinsel in soft gold, which is about as far from the crushed and faded stuff in my attic as I can imagine.”
Dan Cooper, Christmas Buyer
